Hezbollah attacks Israel with missiles copied from Tel Aviv

The Israeli military facility was attacked by Hezbollah with Almas missiles, which Iran copied from Tel Aviv's Spike line by reverse engineering.

Hezbollah in Lebanon on January 26 posted a video of a missile being launched at an Israeli military “reconnaissance facility” near the border between the two countries. The video, filmed with a camera mounted on the missile, shows the missile being launched at a facility with many tall towers on the mountain, then crashing straight into the dome-shaped structure.

Based on the information in the video, military expert Tyler Rogoway determined that the missile Hezbollah used in the attack was an Iranian Almas anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). What is special is that this weapon was manufactured by Tehran by copying the Spike ATGM line produced by Israel.

"Hezbollah captured a number of Spike missiles during the conflict with Israel in 2006 and transferred them to Iran, which then reverse-engineered them to develop the Almas missile," the expert said.

Hezbollah attacks Israel with 'copied' Tel Aviv missiles — Hezbollah launches missiles at Israeli targets in video posted on January 26. Video: *Hezbollah*

Introduced in the 1980s, the Spike is a dual-charge HEAT warhead ATGM designed to counter explosive reactive armor or other hardened targets. It can be fired from helicopters, vehicles, ships, or launchers carried by infantry.

The largest and longest-range version today is the Spike NLOS with a range of 32 km when launched from the ground and 50 km if fired from a high-flying helicopter.

At the time of its launch, the Spike missile was praised for its ability to lock on after launch (LOAL), allowing it to engage targets beyond line of sight such as objects hidden behind obstacles, as well as change targets in flight.

Most variants of the Spike are connected to the operator via a thin cable attached to the tail of the missile, while other versions, such as the Spike NLOS extended-range series, use a wireless data link to receive information from the operator.

Almas missile launcher. Photo: Drive — Almas missile launcher. Photo: *Drive*

According to Rogoway, the Almas missile, first announced by Iran in 2021, has the same operating principle as the Spike series and has many different versions, including handheld, ground-launched or airborne.

"A weapon like Almas would be a particular challenge for the Israeli military, as it could engage targets that traditional ATGMs cannot, such as the sensor-laden observation tower in the video," Rogoway said.

Hezbollah controls parts of the capital Beirut, southern Lebanon, and much of the Beqaa Valley. It also has political representation, holds seats in the Lebanese parliament, and in recent years, together with its allies, has controlled several government ministries. Hezbollah is believed to have a fairly modern military force, more "combat-ready" than many other armed groups in the Middle East, thanks to Iran's support for weapons.

Hezbollah has frequently attacked Israeli territory since the conflict in the Gaza Strip erupted in October 2023, in a show of support for the militant group's ally Hamas. The Israeli military has also repeatedly attacked Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in response to the group's military moves.

More than 190 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon, including about 140 Hezbollah members. Israeli officials say 15 Israelis have been killed in clashes with the militant group in the north, including nine soldiers and six civilians.