The missile can be fitted to the Israel Air Force’s F-15, F-16 and F-35 fighter jets and is meant to be dropped outside areas protected by air-defense systems.
With
tensions still high between Israel and Iran, a new supersonic air-to-surface
missile designed for the annihilation of high quality targets has been
developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Israel Military Industry
Systems (IMI).
Dubbed
“The Rampage” after a popular video-game, it is an accurate supersonic,
long-range air-to-ground assault missile with a warhead, rocket engine and
advanced navigation suit which allows for precision targeting at a very low
mission cost compared to existing solutions.
Be the
first to know.
The
missile can be fitted to the Israel Air Force’s F-15, F-16 and F-35 fighter
jets and is meant to be fired into areas protected by air-defense systems.
Amit
Haimovich, director of marketing and business development for IAI’s Malam
engineering unit told The Jerusalem Post that due to the combination of the
Rampage’s speed and physical form, “it can be detected, but it is very hard to
intercept.
“If you
take the Middle East arena and areas protected by air-defense systems, the
whole point of this missile is that it can hit targets within standoff ranges”
without threatening the launching platform, he said.
The
4.7-meter-long missile, which weighs 570 kg., is guided by a GPS system giving
it the ability to operate in all weather conditions as well as during the day
or night.
According
to Haimovich, once the Rampage is launched, it flies toward predefined
coordinates, shaping its trajectory to hit the target according to its nature.
The missile, he said, does not have a “pure ballistic trajectory which adds to
its ability to penetrate any defended target.”
The
targets that best fit the capabilities of the missile include communication and
command centers, air force bases, maintenance centers, infrastructures and
valuable field targets protected by anti-aircraft batteries.
The
Rampage also features a warhead which was designed for optimal penetration,
allowing for the destruction of targets inside bunkers.
Boaz
Levy, general manager and executive VP of IAI’s Rockets and Space Group, said
in a statement that the Rampage “is an important product that fulfills a true
operational need in a very efficient way. IMI and IAI have invested a great
deal of thought in developing this product, which reflects the extensive
technological know-how and experience of both companies, with a price tag which
is attractive and relevant for all global markets.”
“IMI
Systems and IAI are proud to unveil a response to the challenges of modern
battlefields. The Rampage joins a family of accurate rockets which we have been
providing to advanced militaries for years,” said Eli Reiter, manager of IMI
Systems firepower division. “Rampage complements the air response with a
quantum leap in performance and extraordinary cost-effectiveness ratio, two
factors which are important to many air forces around the world.”
Haimovich
told the Post that IAI already has a buyer for the Rampage but could not reveal
its identity.
The
announcement of the Rampage comes as tensions on Israel’s northern borders
remain high, with the IDF continuing to step up its cross-border strikes on
Iranian targets in Syria.
Israel
has been “managing a campaign against Iranian forces, especially on Israel’s
northern border” for the past two years, IAF Commander Maj.-Gen. Amikam Norkin
said in late May, just weeks after the air force carried out the most extensive
operation in Syria since 1974, striking over 50 Iranian targets following a
missile barrage of 32 Fajr-5 and Grad missiles toward Israel’s front-defensive
line in the Golan Heights.
In an
operation called “House of Cards,” dozens of positions and targets belonging to
the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force in Syria – including the
launcher used to fire the rockets into Israel’s Golan Heights – were destroyed
within 90 minutes by the IAF and the Northern Command.
Despite
destroying a large amount of Iranian military hardware in the war-torn country,
a senior IAF officer said last month that Iran still has long-range
capabilities to strike Israel, which has continued to strike targets in Syria.
“The
Iranian resolve in the region continues, and we keep operating,” he said,
stressing that: “We have maintained our freedom of action over Syria.”
***https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/The-Rampage-Supersonic-missile-developed-to-destroy-high-quality-targets-559785