In a development that illustrates how battlefield gains can evolve into long term strategic threats, Hezbollah is now deploying “Almas” guided missiles against Israeli occupation forces in southern Lebanon. These systems are understood to be an advanced derivative of the Israeli “Spike” anti tank missiles captured by Hezbollah fighters during the July 2006 war.
The “Almas” missile family is Iranian manufactured, designed for both surface to surface and air to surface deployment. It is a short range, anti armour system that uses top attack technology, currently considered one of the most advanced anti tank capabilities within Hezbollah’s arsenal.
From Battlefield Capture to Reverse Engineering
A previous report by The New York Times, citing two officials from the Israeli Ministry of War, revealed that Hezbollah fighters seized Israeli Spike anti tank missiles during the 2006 conflict in southern Lebanon. The captured equipment reportedly included a full operational system with launchers and multiple missiles, left behind during combat engagements or withdrawal phases.
Israeli and Western officials later acknowledged the strategic implications of this capture, particularly the risk that the systems would be transferred to Iran for reverse engineering.
According to these accounts, the missiles were transported to Iran, where they were dismantled and analysed. Engineers within Iran’s defence sector conducted a comprehensive reverse engineering process, ultimately leading to the development of the “Almas” missile series, specifically designed to target armoured vehicles and fortified positions.
Iran publicly unveiled the Almas missiles in April 2020 during a delivery operation involving both missiles and unmanned aerial systems. The system was later deployed in January 2021 during military exercises, launched from an Ababil 3 drone.
Almas Missile Variants
Iran has developed three variants of the Almas missile to address different battlefield requirements:
Almas 1
This variant closely resembles the Israeli Spike LR missile in both design and specifications. It features a four wing structure similar to Iran’s Tufan missile system.
It is powered by a solid fuel engine and uses optical seekers combined with fibre optic guidance for target acquisition and engagement. The system is capable of penetrating armour up to 60 centimetres.
Almas 2
An upgraded version of Almas 1, this model offers extended range and improved armour penetration capabilities of up to 80 centimetres. It can be launched from both ground based platforms and aerial systems.
Almas 3
The largest and most advanced variant in the Almas family, this model closely resembles Israel’s ER class missiles.
It features a tandem warhead mechanism, enabling a two stage detonation process that significantly enhances its effectiveness against fortified targets. The guidance system combines infrared tracking with electro optical sensors for high precision targeting. Armour penetration in this variant reaches approximately 100 centimetres.
Technical Capabilities
The Almas missile family falls within the category of anti armour systems designed for both air to surface and surface to surface operations, utilising top attack engagement methods.
Almas 1 and Almas 2 measure approximately 1.1 metres in length, while Almas 3 extends to 1.6 metres. The missile diameter is 130 millimetres for the first two variants and 170 millimetres for the third.
Operational range varies by model, with Almas 1 reaching up to 4 kilometres, Almas 2 up to 8 kilometres, and Almas 3 up to 16 kilometres.
Both Almas 1 and Almas 2 weigh approximately 15 kilograms, while Almas 3 weighs around 34 kilograms. The missiles operate on solid fuel propulsion and support two types of warheads.
One configuration uses a tandem charge designed for armour penetration, while the other employs a fuel air explosive mechanism capable of generating a large blast radius and high destructive impact.
The warhead is positioned behind a front mounted guidance camera that integrates both visual and thermal tracking systems, enabling accurate target acquisition in both day and night conditions.
Operational Deployment Against Occupation Forces
Hezbollah first publicly disclosed the use of the Almas system during border confrontations that coincided with the Israeli war on Gaza beginning on 7 October 2023, as well as during the ground operation referred to as “Northern Arrows”.
Video footage released by the group documented strikes on Israeli positions, including Ras Naqoura and Jal al Alam in January 2024.
Israeli Ministry of War officials confirmed that these missiles were identified among weapons recovered by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, describing them as among the most advanced systems encountered. Their precision and armour penetration capabilities were highlighted as posing a “significant challenge” to occupation forces.
The platform Arab Defence also reported the use of the Almas 3 variant in targeting the Israeli AN TPQ 37 Firefinder radar system, which is used for artillery detection.
Local Production and Strategic Adaptation
According to Israeli reports, Hezbollah has begun domestic production of the Almas system within Lebanon to reduce reliance on Iranian supply chains. This shift comes amid ongoing conflict conditions, US imposed restrictions, and logistical disruptions following the collapse of the former Syrian regime under Bashar al-Assad, which has complicated traditional weapons transfer routes.
