Hezbollah's short-range Katyusha rockets

Haaretz ^ | 9/3/06 | Ze'ev Schiff

[Jack_1]

A large number of the short-range rockets fired at Israel from southern Lebanon were launched from permanent positions, the Israel Air Force discovered by chance toward the end of the war. The discovery was made after an air strike burned away vegetation, revealing a dug-in Katyusha position on a permanent launch pad. Additional permanent positions were subsequently discovered.

The two-by-three-meter positions consisted of a hydraulic launch pad in a lined pit. The pad could be raised to fire the 122-mm rockets from a launcher at its center, and then lowered and camouflaged with vegetation. The farmers received instructions by cell phone regarding the number of rockets to launch and in what direction and range. They were often provided with thermal blankets to cover the position in order to keep IAF aircraft from detecting the post-shooting heat signature.

[Jack_1]

The UN and EU will have to replenish all the expended positions and pay the farmers for new installations.

[BenLurkin]

One thing is sure -- UNIFIL and the Lebanese 'government' have been doing a lousy job for the last fifteen years.

No wonder Israel doesn't trust either the U.N,. or the Lebanese 'government'.

[SusaninOhio]

Hardly seems fair to call them 'farmers' at this point. I think 'combatants' is the right word.

[BenLurkin]

The rockets, stored near the launch points in underground shelters or houses, were usually aimed with a direction and trajectory precalculated to hit a specific target in Israel. They were usually set up in orchards by arrangement with the grove owners, who were paid by Hezbollah.

The two-by-three-meter positions consisted of a hydraulic launch pad in a lined pit. The pad could be raised to fire the 122-mm rockets from a launcher at its center, and then lowered and camouflaged with vegetation. The farmers received instructions by cell phone regarding the number of rockets to launch and in what direction and range. They were often provided with thermal blankets to cover the position in order to keep IAF aircraft from detecting the post-shooting heat signature.

[stm]

Easy fix, spray the place with agent orange to defoliate it so the batteries will be easier to spot. Then just blast away with JDAMS or LGB's

[gotribe]

I generally like farmers, but these muz farmers should all die.

[Sender]

They aren't farmers if they are firing missiles. That is what is so difficult in this sort of fighting; who is civilian and who is not?

[Sender]

However if one of the "farmers" is killed by an Israeli retaliation, you can be sure the media will report it as a needless civilian death.