File image.
Hezbollah on May 2 shared video footage showing its fighters shooting down a Hermes 450 combat drone of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) over southern Lebanon using what appears to be an Iranian-made jet-powered interceptor.
The drone was shot down five days earlier, over the city of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon. The footage released by Hezbollah reveals that an imaging infrared search and tracking system was used to detect the drone. The group fighters then targeted the drone using what appears to be a fairly large interceptor that was launched from a static rail with the assistance of a rocket booster.
The footage was blurred, but the general characteristics of the interceptor indicate that it was an Iranian-made type identified by the United States military and intelligence as the “358” anti-aircraft weapon.
It is a jet-powered missile-drone hybrid interceptor guided by imagining infrared with a reported range of around 100 kilometers.
Click to see full-size image.
The Hermes 450, which reportedly costs more than $2 million, is a medium-sized multi-payload drone designed by Israeli defense company Elbit.
The drone has an endurance of over 20 hours, with a primary mission of reconnaissance, surveillance, combat and communications relay. Payload options include electro-optical/infrared sensors, communications and electronic intelligence, synthetic-aperture radar/ground-moving target indication, electronic warfare, and hyperspectral sensors.
The 358 interceptor first appeared with Hezbollah in Lebanon more than two years ago, during the previous round of fighting with the IDF. The group is believed to have used the interceptor to shoot down multiple Israeli combat drones during that conflict.
Hezbollah has shot down a total of five Hermes 450 combat drones during the ongoing conflict, although all four previous aerial losses were caused by man-portable air defense systems (MANAPADS).
The fact that Hezbollah is still in possession of advanced air defense means like the 358 interceptor poses a great risk to Israeli warplanes.
The missile-drone hybrid was not just designed to take down drones, but also other types of slower warplanes, including helicopters.
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that’s how it is done. if they say 8500m, than it’d be 9500. great work.
also, where is that “hehehe” imbecile these days?