As part of the recent wave of attacks targeting northern Israel on September 22, 2024, Hezbollah claimed to have employed rockets identified as Fadi 1 and Fadi 2, for the first time in the current conflict.
The rockets are named after Hezbollah terrorist, Fadi Hassan Tawil, who was killed by Israel in 1987. He was the brother of Wissam Tawil, the commander of Hezbollah’s Radwan Force, who was killed by Israel in January 2024.
Several hours after the attacks, Hezbollah released additional details about the rockets, including images and videos documenting their launches.
The video released by Hezbollah claimed that the Fadi 1 is a 220 mm rocket, measuring 6 meters in length and equipped with an 83 kg warhead. Its operational range is said to reach 70 km.
Analysis of the rocket debris, along with Hezbollah’s reports and other sources, suggests that the Fadi 1 is based on the Syrian-made M-220 rockets. Various assessments indicate that these rockets may be a local Syrian variant of the Soviet 9M27 rocket, which is used in the Uragan multiple launch rocket system (MLRS). It appears that Hezbollah, possibly with Iranian assistance, reduced the warhead’s weight and made additional modifications to extend the rocket’s range.
The original Russian rockets come in several variants, including cluster munitions and mine-dispersal capabilities, and it is possible that Hezbollah possesses these capabilities and may utilize them in the future.
The second rocket unveiled by Hezbollah is the Fadi 2. It is described as a 302 mm rocket, also 6 meters in length, with a 170 kg warhead and an operational range of 100 km.
This rocket, too, is not new. It appears that the Fadi 2 is essentially a Syrian-made M-302 rocket, also known as Kheibar-1. However, this rocket is itself a local Syrian variant of the Chinese WS-1 rocket.
M-302 rockets were previously featured in Hezbollah propaganda video showcasing the “Imad 4” underground facility. In addition, rockets of this type were seized by the IDF in 2014 aboard the Klos-C ship, which was attempting to smuggle large quantities of weapons into the Gaza Strip.
Both types of rockets displayed by Hezbollah can be launched from fixed or mobile platforms. As seen in the Hezbollah videos, mounting them on light trucks allows for rapid and flexible deployment and firing. This method also complicates efforts to neutralize the launchers before or after the attack.
Despite their new names, these are not new rockets, as Hezbollah used them during the 2006 Second Lebanon War. However, the new designations may indicate local Hezbollah production in Lebanon, independent of Syrian manufacturing facilities, such as those in CERS.
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