On June 13, 2025, Israel launched a major military operation against Iran, codenamed Operation Rising Lion. Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets deployed precision-guided munitions such as JDAM-ER and Small Diameter Bombs (SDB) to strike a wide range of strategic targets. These included command posts, long-range radar installations, air defense sites, components of the Natanz nuclear facility, ballistic missile launchers, air bases, and entrances to underground bunkers. Among the most controversial actions was the targeting of residences belonging to senior Iranian officials in Tehran. Israel claimed to have neutralized several high-profile individuals, including the Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, though this remains unconfirmed.
In parallel with the airstrikes, Israeli agents reportedly carried out covert ground operations reminiscent of Ukraine’s Operation Spider Web, using civilian vehicles converted into first-person-view (FPV) drone launchers to deploy spike missiles from within Iranian territory. These unconventional raids targeted mobile ground assets and contributed to the broader disruption of Iran’s western military infrastructure. Unconfirmed reports suggest that a small number of Iran’s F-14A fighter aircraft may also have been destroyed in the strikes.
While much has already been written about the military operation itself, this article focuses on Israel’s space-based reconnaissance capabilities, which played a critical role in enabling such a precise and extensive strike. Israel’s pursuit of independent satellite-based intelligence gathering began decades ago, driven by its experiences during the Fourth and Fifth Middle East Wars in 1973 and 1982. During those conflicts, the United States provided satellite imagery via the KH-9 Hexagon and KH-11 Kennen systems, but the data was neither timely nor fully aligned with Israel’s operational needs. The 1979 Camp David Accords also curtailed Israel’s ability to conduct manned aerial reconnaissance over Egypt, further underlining the need for indigenous space-based intelligence.
Following the Fifth Middle East War, Israel launched a concerted effort to develop its own space reconnaissance capabilities. The initiative leveraged existing expertise from its missile and aviation industries and led to the formation of the Israeli Space Agency (ISA) in 1983 under the Ministry of Science and Research and Development. This formalized Israel’s ambitions and laid the foundation for a domestic space industry.
Earlier attempts to acquire longer-range ballistic missile capabilities had failed. In 1973, Israel sought to purchase the U.S. Pershing II missile to replace its limited-range Jericho-1 system, but was denied on geopolitical grounds. Consequently, Israel launched the Jericho-2 program in 1977 to develop its own medium-range ballistic missile. This program involved early cooperation with South Africa and pre-revolutionary Iran, though these partnerships were short-lived. Estimates suggest that the Jericho-2 missile has a range of up to 5,300 kilometers, though exact specifications remain classified.
The Jericho-2 program laid the groundwork for Israel’s Shavit family of space launch vehicles. These include the original Shavit, the Shavit-1 with an enlarged first stage, and the Shavit-2 with further enhancements to the second stage. The Shavit series relies on solid-fuel ATSM-9 motors, though there were plans—ultimately abandoned—to use the more powerful U.S.-built Castor-120 motors and a hydrazine-fueled fourth stage to create a Shavit-3 variant.
Despite ongoing improvements, the Shavit-2 remains a relatively small and limited launch vehicle. With a diameter of 1.35 meters, a maximum liftoff weight of under 30 tons, and a fairing space of just 1.25 meters, it can only place payloads of around 500 kilograms into elliptical orbits with a 600-kilometer apogee. Israel’s unique geographic and strategic considerations further complicate satellite launches. To avoid having rocket debris fall over hostile territory, Israel launches westward into retrograde orbits over the Mediterranean Sea. This requires overcoming Earth’s rotational speed and restricts the satellite to high-inclination orbits, significantly reducing the effective payload capacity of the Shavit launch system, with practical limits as low as 300–400 kilograms.
Despite these constraints, Israel has managed to develop high-performance space reconnaissance satellites optimized for weight, size, and capability. The country’s industrial base now supports a vertically integrated space production ecosystem, including platforms, sensors, propulsion systems, and communication modules. These capabilities are embodied in the Ofeq-11 and Ofeq-16 satellites, Israel’s third-generation electro-optical reconnaissance systems. Ofeq-11 was launched in 2016 and re-entered the atmosphere in 2024, while Ofeq-16, launched in 2020, remains operational.
Both satellites use Israel Aerospace Industries’ OPTSAT-3000 platform and are equipped with the Jupiter camera developed by Elbit Systems. Operating in the visible-near-infrared (VNIR) band between 450–900 nm, Jupiter features a 700 mm aperture and a 22.3 focal ratio. It employs a fixed focal-length, coaxial optical design and uses a 30,000-pixel time-delay integration CCD sensor. From a 600-kilometer apogee, it achieves a resolution of 0.5 meters with a 15-kilometer swath; at perigee, it achieves 0.27–0.3 meters resolution with an 8.5-kilometer swath.
These satellites can image dozens of targets per orbit, enabled by the agility of the OPTSAT-3000 platform and supported by onboard storage of up to 0.5 terabytes. Improved data transmission systems further increase operational efficiency. According to Elbit Systems, the Jupiter camera is considered a Very High Resolution (VHR) sensor, capable of identifying vehicles, small structures, and strike impact areas with clarity. It also supports the integration of a multispectral sensor sharing the same optical path, offering seven spectral bands and 2-meter resolution, adding panchromatic and multispectral imaging capabilities for mission versatility.
Beyond electro-optical satellites, Israel has developed and deployed synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites. The TecSAR program, developed in collaboration with Elta Systems and partially supported by the U.S. and India, uses the ELM-2070 radar payload. The TecSAR-1, also known as Ofeq-8, was launched in 2008 aboard an Indian PSLV—the only Ofeq-series satellite launched by a foreign vehicle. Its radar uses a 3-meter lightweight mesh antenna with eight horn feeds and supports modes such as push-broom, gaze, wide-area scan, and electronically stitched imaging. With 256 gigabytes of onboard memory, it can respond rapidly to tasking and download over 3,000 images per month.
Ofeq-10, launched in 2014, built on the Ofeq-8 design with an improved radar payload, possibly featuring a 5-meter antenna and 240 gigabytes of data storage. The most advanced SAR satellite to date, Ofeq-13, likely retains the 5-meter antenna while increasing payload mass by 50 percent and total satellite mass by 27 percent to 380 kilograms. It offers 0.5-meter resolution in spot mode, extended imaging modes including multipolarization and refocused imaging, and advanced applications such as InSAR for geodetic deformation tracking and moving target indication. A follow-on satellite is reportedly in development.
Israel’s capabilities also extend to the commercial sector through ImageSat International, which operates the EROS series of satellites. These are based on earlier Ofeq designs and demonstrate Israel’s ability to leverage military technology in civilian markets. EROS-A and EROS-B derive from the Ofeq-3 platform, while the more recent EROS-C offers enhanced imaging capabilities.
Israel’s satellite reconnaissance infrastructure, despite its physical limitations, remains among the most sophisticated and adaptable in the world. Through careful engineering, modular design, and strategic international partnerships, it has succeeded in developing compact yet highly capable platforms that provide critical intelligence for national security and precision military operations.
Source: the probe, gov il, al shabaka
