Winged missiles fired by Hezbollah towards Israel on Nov. 21. (Credit: Screenshot taken from a video posted by Hezbollah's "War Media" telegram channel)
BEIRUT — Hezbollah claimed on Saturday that it used "winged missiles" for the first time during an attack on an Israeli airbase near Tel Aviv two days earlier.
"Scenes from the Islamic Resistance targeting the Hatzor airbase south of Tel Aviv with winged missiles," wrote Hezbollah on the video.
Hezbollah described the Hatzor base as a “main air wing” hosting a reconnaissance unit and squadrons of warplanes. The base is located around 150 kilometers from the Lebanese-Israeli border.
The video appears to show Hezbollah launching drones to distract Israeli air defenses before firing the "winged missiles."
Missiles expert Shaan Shaikh from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) told L'Orient Today that "winged missiles" likely refer to cruise missiles "with large fins that pop out in flight to extend their range."
Fabien Hinz, an expert on missile proliferation in the Middle East, told us that the missile shown in the video appears to be a Project 351/Paveh cruise missile.
Hinz noted that this type of missile has previously been used by the Houthis, Iran, and militias in Iraq.
“It is a cruise missile available in different versions with ranges," between 800 and 2,000 kilometers he added.
According to Hinz, these missiles rely on satellite navigation to strike their targets and are faster than suicide drones.
Hezbollah has gradually revealed the use of new weapons in the ongoing war, which began in October last year. More than 3,650 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon since then.
