Friday, 15 November 2024

Israeli Navy's 'C-Dome' Intercepts Hezbollah Kamikaze Drone Heading Towards Offshore NatGas Rig


The Israel Defense Forces reported on Saturday that a Hezbollah suicide drone, launched from Lebanon with a heading towards an Israeli natural gas field in the Eastern Mediterranean, was intercepted by a warship equipped with the "C-Dome" defense system.

According to The Times of Israel, citing an IDF official, the kamikaze drone was intercepted by C-Dome, the naval version of the Iron Dome, from one of the Navy's Sa'ar 6-class corvettes. 

The drone was heading towards the Karish gas field and was shot down at a "significant distance" from any oil/gas offshore infrastructure. 

The C-Dome was first unveiled in 2014 and declared operational in late 2022. It has its own dedicated radar and is integrated into the ship's radar system to detect and eliminate incoming threats.

Tensions have risen across the Middle East in recent weeks. See this:

  • Satellite Images Show Massive Extent Of Israel's Attack On Yemen Key Port
  • Houthis Warn 'No Red Lines' In Counterattack After Israel Bombs Yemeni Port
  • It's important to note that Hamas' allies include Iran-backed groups such as the Houthis, Lebanese Hezbollah, and Iraqi paramilitaries.

    As regional spillover risks remain elevated, we cited the hawkish think tank Jewish Institute for National Security of America in recent weeks, which shows Hezbollah has thousands of suicide drones in stockpiles.

    What's crucial to understand are the various types of drones Hezbollah can deploy, along with threat ranges. This shows conflict could easily spill over into the Mediterranean area.

    On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former President Donald Trump met at Mar-a-Lago in South Florida. 

    Trump claimed in the context of the meeting that a major war in the Middle East - and even possibly a "third world war" - will break out if he doesn't win the election. He's long been running as the candidate who will deescalate various powder kegs around the world that seemingly seemed to be nearing an explosion.

    "If we win, it will be very simple, it's all going to work out, and very quickly," Trump said, adding, "If we don't, you're going to end up with major wars in the Middle East and maybe a Third World War. You are closer to a Third World War right now than at any time since the Second World War, you've never been so close because we have incompetent people running our country."


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