The "Fadi" Rockets: A Closer Look at Hezbollah's Arsenal and Tactics

Last week, the Lebanese group Hezbollah launched a number of rocket attacks on Israel. This was in response to a series of explosions involving pagers and walkie-talkies, which many believe were caused by Israeli intelligence. Hezbollah's actions were seen as retaliation for these incidents. The situation reflects the ongoing tension between.

Hezbollah used Fadi-1 and Fadi-2 rockets in these attacks, and after the strikes, the group shared details about these rockets with local media.

Fadi-1

The Fadi-1 is a 220mm unguided rocket that can be fired from both fixed and mobile launchers. It’s around six meters long and carries a high-explosive warhead weighing 83 kilograms. The rocket can reach targets up to 70 kilometers away.

An analysis of the rocket debris, along with reports from Hezbollah and other sources, suggests that the Fadi 1 is modeled after Syria’s M-220 rockets.

Several evaluations point out that these rockets could be a Syrian version of the Soviet 9M27 rocket, which is part of the Uragan multiple launch rocket system (MLRS).

It seems that Hezbollah, likely with help from Iran, reduced the weight of the warhead and made other adjustments to increase the rocket's range.

Fadi-2

The Fadi-2 is a 302mm unguided rocket with a range of 100 kilometers. It carries a 170-kilogram high-explosive warhead.

This rocket isn’t new either. The Fadi 2 seems to be a Syrian-made version of the M-302 rocket, also known as the Kheibar-1. However, this rocket is actually a Syrian adaptation of the Chinese WS-1 rocket.

The rocket is built to destroy enemy defenses, infrastructure, and groups of soldiers.

According to Hezbollah media, both the Fadi-1 and Fadi-2. are tactical surface-to-surface rockets were first used by the group during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 2006, as reported by Al-Mayadeen.

Hezbollah stated that while these rockets are not precision-guided, they are meant as a direct response to large-scale Israeli airstrikes.

The Lebanese news network Al-Mayadeen, quoting field sources, reported that these rockets came from one of the Imad (underground) facilities. Many of these sites have not been damaged by enemy airstrikes.

According to reports, this network of bases houses several rocket launchers and Hezbollah fighters. A video showing the Imad 4 base provided a glimpse of these facilities.

Why the Name Fadi?

The rockets are believed to be named after Fadi Hassan Tawil, a Hezbollah leader born in Beirut in 1969. He was killed in 1987 while fighting Israeli occupation forces in southern Lebanon.His body remained on the battlefield for eight days before it could be recovered and buried.

Which Targets Were Struck?

On Sunday, September 22nd, Hezbollah fired Fadi-1 and Fadi-2 rockets during three operations. These attacks targeted the Israeli Ramat David military base, an airport, and the Rafael military-industrial complex, located north of the occupied city of Haifa.

(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own and do not reflect those of DNA.)

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