Israel has unveiled operational footage of the "Iron Sting," a precision 120mm mortar round, designed to target specific points such as rocket launchers, stationary vehicles, and defensive strong points, while minimizing collateral damage.
The Israeli Air Force released the footage on Sunday, showcasing the weapon's ability to obliterate an enemy rocket launcher.
The "Iron Sting," characterized as "an innovative and accurate mortar bomb," is part of Israel's arsenal to counteract terrorist threats. The Israeli army deployed this weapon system in collaboration with the Israeli Air Force. The footage was posted on an unspecified platform, accompanied by a video demonstrating the mortar's destructive power.
Elbit Systems, the developer of the Iron Sting, described it as a "precise, laser and GPS guided mortar munition" in a 2021 press release. The system is designed to engage targets in densely populated urban areas, "reducing the possibility of collateral damage and preventing injury to non-combatants."
The release stated, "Its operational use will revolutionize ground warfare and equip battalions with organic, accurate, and effective firepower."
In the context of the U.S. Army, the 120mm mortar is a battalion-level weapon system, a standard presumably also applicable to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). This arrangement allows company-level troops at the Forward Edge of the Battle Area (FEBA) to request the system, enabling rapid responses in the fluctuating environment of close contact.
However, it remains uncertain whether these 120mm rounds, explicitly identified as mortar rounds, are being launched using traditional tube mortars, as the Israeli Air Force released the actual footage.
The IDF recently thwarted two terrorist squads identified in Lebanon, in the areas of Matat and Mount Dov. According to suspicions, the squad in Matat intended to launch anti-aircraft missiles towards Israeli territory, and the squad in Mount Dov planned to launch rockets. Both squads were neutralized before they could fire.
The IDF operates two 120mm mortar systems, the self-propelled (Hatchet) 120mm Recoil Mortar System, also utilized by the U.S., and the Soltam K6 tube mortar, similarly used by the U.S. Army as the M120 Mortar System. It is unclear how a mortar round could be fired from an aircraft, but it would be imprudent to underestimate Israeli resourcefulness in such matters.
The "Iron Sting" offers the IDF several advantages. Firstly, precision weapons significantly enhance force effectiveness, enabling the neutralization of point targets with one or two weapons instead of an area-covering spread typically associated with tube mortars. Secondly, the IDF has a history of striving to minimize collateral damage and civilian casualties, and precision munitions increase their chances of achieving this objective.
The unveiling of this new precision weapon comes at a critical time, with a potential invasion of Gaza appearing increasingly likely and Hamas facing political pressure from unexpected quarters.
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