The Gabriel V anti-ship missile. Source: the Israeli Aerospace Industries.
On September 21, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it had successfully tested its latest anti-ship missile, the Gabriel V.
In a joint statement with the Israeli Defense Ministry, the IDF said that the “complex” test took place in August. During the test, the Israeli Navy Sa’ar 6-class corvette Oz launched a missile at a mock ship, destroying it. Footage of the test shows the target on fire after receiving a direct hit.
The Gabriel V is the fifth generation of the anti-ship missile developed by the Israeli Aerospace Industries and the Israeli Defense Ministry Directorate of Defense Research and Development, commonly known as MAFAT.
The IDF said that the advanced missile is capable of flying hundreds of kilometers in various sea and air conditions, enabling it to “foil and destroy a wide variety of targets and threats.”
“The advanced missiles ensure the preservation of the IDF’s naval superiority, and will be used by the navy in its missions, including the protection of the strategic assets of the State of Israel,” the IDF said in its statement.
Israeli media reports from a few years ago revealed that the Gabriel V is equipped with an active multi-spectra seeker and has a range of up to 400 kilometers.
The Gabriel V missiles are currently being deployed on all Sa’ar 6-class corvettes of the Israeli Navy. In 2019, the Finnish Navy also announced it had ordered the advanced anti-ship missile from Israel.
The Israeli announcement of the successful test comes amid high tensions with Hezbollah over the maritime border dispute with Lebanon. Hezbollah does not operate any warships. However, the naval forces of the group’s main backer, Iran, have been expanding their operations in the region.
