Tel Aviv: The Israeli navy on June 10 attacked ports in Yemen used by the Houthi rebels. Previous attacks were performed by the Israeli air force.
In recent years the German made SAAR 6 corvettes of the Israeli navy have been equipped with advanced sea- ground weapons systems. One of these is the LORA long range ballistic missile.
Developed by IAI’s MALAM division, LORA is a sea-to-ground and ground-to-ground system which comprises a long-range ballistic missile, a unique launcher, a command and control system, and a ground/marine support system.
The LORA system provides ballistic assault capabilities for multiple ranges with a precision level of 10 meters CEP.
The LORA is 5 metres long and has a diameter of 60 cm. It is armed with different types of warheads with an average weight of 200 kgs.
Previous attacks on Houthi targets in retaliation for launching ballistic missiles to hit Israel, were performed by the Israeli air force. Yemen is 2000 km from Israel and these attacks involved aerial refueling. The use of the SAAR 6 with its standoff missiles marks a change in the Israeli strategy.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
