The Mirsad-1 (Arabic: مرصاد, English: "Observation post") is a designation for a small
unmanned aerial vehicle used for
reconnaissance purposes by
Hezbollah
Hezbollah (; ar, حزب الله ', , also transliterated Hizbullah or Hizballah, among others) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group, led by its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah since 1992. Hezbollah's parami ...
group in the 2000s. Mirsad-1 drones entered Israel on two occasions, in 2004 and 2005.
The Mirsad-1 is not a Hezbollah-designed UAV. Instead, it is a name given by Hezbollah to existing Iranian UAVs provided to the group, namely the twin-tail
Ababil Ababil or Ababeel may refer to:
*Ababeel (NGO), a charitable organization based in Jammu and Kashmir
*Ababeel (missile), a Pakistani MIRV-capable Medium-range ballistic missile
*Ababil-100, an Iraqi single-stage Short-range ballistic missile
*HESA A ...
drones. Before 2006, Hezbollah acquired up to eight such drones from
Iran. Reports state that up to 30 Hezbollah personnel also received training on operating the Mirsad at the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' bases near
Isfahan
Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...
, Iran.
Secretary-General of Hezbollah
This article lists the Secretaries-General of Hezbollah
Hezbollah (; ar, حزب الله ', , also transliterated Hizbullah or Hizballah, among others) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group, led by its Secret ...
,
Hassan Nasrallah
Hassan Nasrallah ( ar, حسن نصر الله ; born 31 August 1960) is a Lebanese cleric and political leader who has served as the 3rd secretary-general of Hezbollah since his predecessor, Abbas al-Musawi, was assassinated by the Israel Def ...
, has boasted about the drones, saying that they "can be laden with a quantity of explosives of up to 40 to 50 kilograms" and can reach "deep" into Israel.
Use
The first Mirsad-1 flight into Israeli airspace occurred mid-morning on November 7, 2004. The drone flew at low level from Lebanon south over the western
Galilee
Galilee (; he, הַגָּלִיל, hagGālīl; ar, الجليل, al-jalīl) is a region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. Galilee traditionally refers to the mountainous part, divided into Upper Galilee (, ; , ) and Lower Galil ...
town of
Nahariyya
Nahariya ( he, נַהֲרִיָּה, ar, نهاريا) is the northernmost coastal city in Israel. In it had a population of .
Etymology
Nahariya takes its name from the stream of Ga'aton (river is ''nahar'' in Hebrew), which bisects it.
Hist ...
, then turned and flew back north, over the
Mediterranean sea, having spent up to half an hour in Israeli airspace.
The second flight took place on April 11, 2005, and was a short, 18 mile incursion. The drone had crossed back into Lebanese territory by the time Israeli fighters could be scrambled to intercept.
Defense Industry Daily
References
{{Reflist
2000s military reconnaissance aircraft
Unmanned military aircraft
Twin-boom aircraft