Report: Russia Provided Lebanon Hezbollah With Advanced Anti-Tank Missiles

The website Israel Defense reports Hezbollah has obtained an unknown number of RPG-30 missiles • The missiles are capable of penetrating IDF armor protection systems, including “Windbreaker” anti-tank missile shield system.


Israel expressed concern last week that advanced Russian-manufactured anti-tank missiles may have been acquired by Lebanon-based Shiite terrorist group Hezbollah.

According to the Israel Defense website, defense officials are trying to confirm reports that an unknown number of the missiles - known as RPG-30 - have indeed been acquired by the terrorist organization. The advanced missiles are said to be capable of penetrating Israel Defense Forces armor protection systems, including the Armored Corps “Windbreaker” anti-tank missile shield system, which is installed on all new Merkava Mark IV tanks.

The RPG-30 system launches an initial decoy missile that activates the tank’s active defense mechanism. After the tank’s active defense is turned on, a second missile capable of disrupting the tank’s defense mechanism and penetrating 65 cm of armor is launched by the RPG-30 system.

The IDF’s “Windbreaker” system is an active tank defense mechanism manufactured by Israeli military system manufacturer, Rafael. The mechanism provides 360-degree armor protection, although it does have some undisclosed limitations. The system can detect a missile launch against the tank and neutralize the missile before it hits the target.

A similar system called the “Porcupine Quill” (also known as “Iron Fist”) was manufactured as a response to anti-tank missiles that IDF forces encountered in recent conflicts, including during the Second Lebanon War of 2006.

The possible transfer of the RPG-30 anti-tank system to Hezbollah has added to growing Israeli concerns of Syrian weapon transfers to the terrorist organization. Israel believes Syrian President Bashar al-Assad - who is fighting a year-long uprising against him and his regime - may order the transfer of sensitive weapons systems to Hezbollah if his government is toppled.

Director of Military Intelligence Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi said in July 2011 that Israel was monitoring unfolding events in Syria with concern, specifically over the possibility that strategic weapons from Syria could make their way to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Earlier this month, a senior defense official said the transfer of chemical weapons from Syria to Hezbollah would be tantamount to a declaration of war, and added that Israel would not accept such a move and would take action to prevent it.
http://www.israelhayom.com/site/news...le.php?id=3265

Lebanese Hezbollah Acquires Advanced Anti-Tank Missiles

TEHRAN (FNA)- Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement has obtained advanced anti-tank missiles thru confidential channels, media sources revealed on Saturday.


The report by the Lebanese ad-Diar daily said the new anti-tank missiles of Hezbollah are more advanced than the Russian Kornet anti-tank missiles recently purchased by Syria.

The new missiles are capable of precise targeting from a 400 meter distance, destroying the armored vehicle and killing the entire personnel in the military vehicle.

The very high speed of these missiles is among their unique characteristics and although Hezbollah has not acquired a very large number of them, they enable the Lebanese resistance movement to destroy at least 100 tanks.

The Tel Aviv-based newspaper 'Israel Hayom' in a recent article titled 'Hezbollah 2013' stressed Hezbollah's high combat preparedness against Israel, saying that Hezbollah has 300 long-range missiles which bring all the occupied territories within the reach of its missiles.

It claimed that Hezbollah has an arsenal of 60,000 missiles posing direct and real threat to Israel.

The paper wrote that Hezbollah has 5,000 missiles with the range of 250 km.
It said that Hezbollah can surprise Israel with its drones and take future conflicts to inside the occupied territories.

The newspaper quoted Israeli analyst Shimon Shabira as saying that Hezbollah has between 20,000 to 40,000 strong men, including skilled airborne personnel and well-trained divers.

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext...?nn=9203180214