Why is the Iron Dome helpless against Hezbollah's "Volcano" missile?
The Volcano is a heavy, precise, and very short-range missile used by the Lebanese Hezbollah in its operations against Israel. So how did this particular missile become a headache for Israel?
This question was posed by the Israeli website "Calcalist," to which its writer, Nitzan Sadan, responded with a report explaining the concept behind the Volcano missile, which he considers the simplest, slowest, and most complex missile in Hezbollah's arsenal.
Initially, Sadan clarifies that the "Volcano" missile is a type of composite weapon that can be constructed from parts of other missiles in approximately one hour, without the need for welding almost. It belongs to a category of weapons called "heavyweight missiles."
The writer adds that this missile is completely different from any other artillery missile, as conventional standard missiles primarily rely on fuel to fly as far as possible, but their explosive payload is relatively small.
He cites as an example the famous Katyusha rocket, which has a range of up to 40 kilometers, with a bomb weighing up to 25 kilograms. The launching of the Katyusha relies on quantity: the standard Katyusha launcher (BM21) contains 40 tubes that it empties within 20 seconds, thus achieving small damage but over a wide area.
In contrast, heavyweight missiles operate in the opposite manner, with their explosive payload being very heavy - from 100 to 500 kilograms - which is about 60 percent larger than their engine. They aim to cause maximum damage at a specific point.
The writer emphasizes that this type of missile is not a new invention. During World War II, the Nazis used a similar missile with a range of no more than 4 kilometers. Israel also developed a version of it with a solid casing designed to penetrate fortifications, carrying a 250-kilogram explosive payload with a range not exceeding one kilometer. One of these missiles was responsible for the death of Abdel Moneim Riad, the Egyptian Chief of Staff, on March 9, 1969.
Over time, heavyweight missiles have become simpler and simpler. At present, they are nothing more than explosive barrels with a collision initiator that triggers the bomb upon impact. They are equipped with a rocket motor from a Grad missile or similar, and a tail is attached for stability during flight, then they are placed in a tube and launched.
According to the writer, Hezbollah discovered these missiles in the Syrian war, perhaps around 2012, and they were exactly what they were looking for: an easy and economical tool to disable Israeli army sites.
The writer points out that heavyweight missiles solve all problems with one blow. With them, there is no longer a need for infiltration and exposing soldiers to danger. Just place missile launchers on a truck, store them in a shed in the village, then deploy and launch them as needed, retracting them within a minute. Such a missile costs less than $400, but the damage it causes to the target it hits is enormous.
Heavyweight Missile Flaws
The writer notes that these missiles have flaws as well. The Volcano is not just shaped like a solar heater; it also flies like one, visible in the air as if it doesn't want to fly due to its slowness.
The writer states that these primitive missiles are the ones that challenge the Iron Dome system the most, as many of them slip through its defenses. The Iron Dome missile battery operates through a distinctive radar that detects the movement of objects in the air, understanding their direction, speed, and angle, thus determining their trajectory. This allows it to identify any missile posing a threat to a residential area or a specific force, by calculating the interception point and subsequently sending an intercepting missile to it.
The writer explains that this system works great, even if the attacking missile is very fast, moves in a low trajectory, or even maneuvers slightly.
However, the Volcano is not a regular missile. It flies a very short distance, and Hezbollah elements launch it from short distances and hidden platforms in the area, which means it takes about 10 seconds from launch to impact. Therefore, the Iron Dome's intercepting missile cannot always reach the interception point and collide with it at the right time.
Stopping Hezbollah's Missiles
The writer reveals that what can completely stop the Volcano is lasers or the "Magen Or" system developed by Rafael, which is an energy weapon capable of destroying the target the moment it is detected through radar waves that move at the speed of light. Since the laser itself is light, the hit will be inevitable, causing the missile to explode in the same place or rotate around itself and fall during its ascent. However, the problem is that this system is still experimental, and Magen Or projects must be completed and become operational, which will take some time.
The writer concludes the report by answering the question: What do we do in the meantime? He explains that Hezbollah fighters must be stopped on their way to their launch sites through drone teams and powerful camera-equipped aircraft that scan the sky, northern command surveillance that scans the shrubbery area, so when anything human is seen, it should be bombed and neutralized. In this way, several Hezbollah cells have been eliminated, and several Volcano missile launch platforms destroyed, according to the writer.
However, Sadan warns at the same time that the borders are long, and Hezbollah does not surrender, so it seems that Israel will have to force Hezbollah beyond the range of these missiles through a direct military operation.