Israel worried by Iranian owned anti-ship missile
Pastor Dale Morgan
Aug 28, 2007 1:08 | Updated Aug 28, 2007 1:08
*Israel worried by Iranian owned anti-ship missile*
By YAAKOV KATZ
The recent delivery of an advanced Russian-made anti-ship missile to
Iran has defense officials concerned it will be transferred to Syria and
Hizbullah and used against the Israel Navy in a future conflict.
The INS 'Hanit' was hit by a Chinese-made ground-to-sea missile during
the Second Lebanon War.
Photo: IDF
Called the SSN-X-26 Yakhont, the supersonic cruise missile can be
launched from the coast and hit sea-borne targets up to 300 kilometers
away. The missile carries a 200-kilogram warhead and flies a
meter-and-a-half above sea level, making it extremely difficult to
intercept. Its closest Western counterpart is the US-made Tomahawk and
Harpoon.
The missile homes in on its target using an advanced radar guidance
system that is said to make it resistant to electronic jamming.
The Yakhont is an operational and tactical missile and can be used
against both a medium-sized destroyer and an aircraft carrier. It would
pose a serious threat to the Israel Navy, according to defense officials.
"This is certainly a threat to the Navy," one defense official said.
"There is a real fear that if this missile is in Iran it will also be in
Syria and Lebanon."
During the Second Lebanon War, the IDF was surprised when the INS Hanit
was struck by a Chinese-made ground-to-sea missile, which was not known
to have been in Hizbullah hands. At the time, the IDF suspected Iran had
assisted Hizbullah in the attack, which killed four sailors. While
officials could not confirm that the missile had reached Syria or
Hizbullah, the growing assumption is that any weapons system or missile
that can be taken apart and fit into a shipping container can easily be
transferred.