File image.
Hezbollah announced on June 11 that its air defense units had shot down a Heron 1 drone of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) over the eastern Lebanese governorate of Baalbek-Hermel using what it described as a “qualitative missile”.
The drone was hit over the town of Nahle in the Baalbek District, according to a statement by the group, which didn’t provide any additional details.
The IDF has not yet acknowledged the aerial loss. However, video footage showing what appears to be a Heron 1 drone falling from the sky over Baalbek was posted to social networks.
The Heron 1 is a medium-size drone with an endurance of 52 hours and a service ceiling of 10 kilometers. It was designed by Israel’s IAI for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance missions. The drone, which costs around $10, is also reported to be capable of holding armed roles.
The “qualitative missile” mentioned by Hezbollah was likely an Iranian-made type identified by the United States military and intelligence as the “358” anti-aircraft weapon.
It is a jet-powered missile-drone hybrid interceptor guided by imagining infrared with a reported range of around 100 kilometers.
Click to see full-size image.
The 358 interceptor first appeared with Hezbollah in Lebanon more than two years ago, during the previous round of fighting with the IDF. The group is believed to have used the interceptor to shoot down multiple Israeli combat drones during that conflict.
Hezbollah has shot down a total of five Israeli drones during the ongoing round of fighting, although all three previous aerial losses were caused by man-portable air defense systems (MANAPADS). All previous drones were smaller Hermes 450s.
The downing of the Heron 1 proves that still in possession of advanced air defense means like the 358 interceptor poses a great risk not just to Israeli drones, but also helicopters.
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