P-800 Oniks in Lebanon; Hezbollah’s Deadly Russian Cruise Missiles a Major Threat to Israel
The Lebanese militia Hezbollah has acquired a number of cutting edge weapons systems and revolutionised its strike capabilities since its war with Israel in 2006, primarily those manufactured by Russia and North Korea, in preparation for a potential future conflict. One of several cutting edge weapons systems acquired by the militia was the P-800 Oniks cruise missile system, a Russian platform which first entered service in 2002 and is among the most capable systems of its kind in the world. The Ramjet powered missiles deliver strikes at 2.5 times the speed of sound, and are highly manoeuvrable, both factors which make them extremely difficult to intercept. Unlike most missiles which accelerate in their terminal phase of flight, the P-800 retains extreme speeds over its whole trajectory - eliminating chances for an easier early interception. The missile retains an over the horizon firing range, and fire and forget capabilities which maximise ease of use - ensuring that the missile does not require constant guidance until it reaches its target and allowing its operators to rapidly redeploy after firing. Furthermore, the missile is capable of following a number of trajectories depending on the nature of the target and expected defences, including a high-low trajectory which can take it up to 14km into the air, and a sea skimming trajectory which makes it more difficult to detect for enemy warships.
The Lebanese militia Hezbollah has acquired a number of cutting edge weapons systems and revolutionised its strike capabilities since its war with Israel in 2006, primarily those manufactured by Russia and North Korea, in preparation for a potential future conflict. One of several cutting edge weapons systems acquired by the militia was the P-800 Oniks cruise missile system, a Russian platform which first entered service in 2002 and is among the most capable systems of its kind in the world. The Ramjet powered missiles deliver strikes at 2.5 times the speed of sound, and are highly manoeuvrable, both factors which make them extremely difficult to intercept. Unlike most missiles which accelerate in their terminal phase of flight, the P-800 retains extreme speeds over its whole trajectory - eliminating chances for an easier early interception. The missile retains an over the horizon firing range, and fire and forget capabilities which maximise ease of use - ensuring that the missile does not require constant guidance until it reaches its target and allowing its operators to rapidly redeploy after firing. Furthermore, the missile is capable of following a number of trajectories depending on the nature of the target and expected defences, including a high-low trajectory which can take it up to 14km into the air, and a sea skimming trajectory which makes it more difficult to detect for enemy warships.