- Israel used a “Rampage” missile in its strike on Iran, Israeli media reported.
- The supersonic missile is designed to strike ground targets such as military bases.
- Its manufacturer describes it as “a long-range, air-to-ground” missile.
Israel used a long-range, supersonic missile in its strike on Iran earlier this week, Israeli broadcaster Kan reported, per The Times of Israel.
US officials said Israel carried out a missile strike on a military base near the city of Isfahan, Iran, on Friday. Israel has not confirmed the reports, while Iran has sought to downplay the incident, only referencing small drones used in the attack, which its foreign minister said were “like toys our children play with.”
While it remains unclear what weapons were used in the strike, Kan reported that Israel used a “Rampage” air-to-surface missile, claiming it was identified in photos and that damage caused by the attack was consistent with a Rampage strike, per The Times of Israel.
The Rampage missile was designed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for use against targets such as “communication and command centers, air forces bases, maintenance centers and infrastructure,” according to the company’s website.
The company describes the missile, which weighs 1,250 pounds, as “a long-range, air-to-ground, seekerless, precision strike weapon.”
It has the ability to fly at 1,250 mph with a range of up to 190 miles.
It can be fired from an aircraft or as a stand-alone system and uses GPS/INS guidance navigation and anti-jamming capabilities, it adds.
It has a blast fragmentation or general-purpose warhead.
A video shared on the company’s YouTube channel simulates a strike by the missile.
Two Western officials said that the Israeli strike on Iran, which was launched in response to Iran’s attack on Israel last week, was intended to show Tehran that it could evade its air defense systems undetected, The New York Times reported.
Business Insider contacted the IDF and the IAI for comment.
It was reported last year that the UK’s Royal Air Force was considering buying the advanced Israeli weapon to replenish its missile stocks after having donated many of its own Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine.
The Rampage is considered an economical alternative costing hundreds of thousand of dollars versus the $3 million cost of each Storm Shadow, reported The National.
