Elbit Systems announced on Monday morning that it has secured a substantial $190 million contract to deliver its advanced "Iron Sting" laser and GPS-guided mortar bombs to the Defense Ministry. This contract will be fulfilled over a two-year period. Since the onset of the Gaza conflict, the IDF has employed Iron Sting to eliminate hundreds of terrorists. Additionally, it has been used by infantry battalion teams operating along the Lebanon border.
Seeing it in action
(Video: Elbit)
Iron Sting is a precision-guided 120mm mortar bomb, designed to accurately home in on and destroy targets using robust GPS and laser guidance technologies. It boasts a range of up to 6.2 miles.
The first operational use of Iron Sting occurred less than three weeks after Hamas' terrorist attack on the Gaza border region, when Maglan Special Forces operators fired it to strike a Hamas launch site from which rockets were being launched at Israeli territory. The initial operational deployment of this precision mortar was executed by an Iron Sting team from the Maglan reserve unit, first in the Gaza Strip and subsequently targeting locations in Lebanon, such as junctions through which Hezbollah terrorists attempted to escape.
Colonel Omer Cohen, commander of the Commando Brigade, said at the time: "Thanks to the precision, lethality and expertise of the soldiers, the Maglan unit, in cooperation with the Air Force, has neutralized dozens of terrorists using various means, one of which is the precision-guided Iron Sting mortar. Since the beginning of the war, the Commando Brigade has valiantly countered the enemy's brutal attacks and eliminated over 100 terrorists in the Gaza border region. The Maglan, Egoz and Duvdevan units, both regular and reserve, will respond to any required location and neutralize any enemy."
The Defense Ministry about two and a half years ago called the precision mortar effective for both open and densely urban areas, minimizing collateral damage and preventing collateral harm. "Its introduction into operational use will revolutionize land warfare and provide the battalion with new capabilities of organic, efficient and precise firepower with independent operation," according to the ministry
Yehuda (Udi) Vered, CEO of Elbit Systems, praised the "Iron Sting" laser sale deal. "Building on the operational experience gained by our advanced guided mortar, this contract further solidifies our position as leaders in the precision ammunition solutions market. With the rise in military conflicts in urban environments, military forces worldwide demand precise technologies that reduce collateral damage. Iron Sting meets this critical need," he said.