Israeli army releases footage of first operational use of ‘Iron Sting’ munition destroying rocket launcher

Fox News ^ | October 22,2023 | By Stephen Sorace , Anders Hagstrom

[Hojczyk]

Israeli forces released footage of the "Iron Sting" system launching a mortar bomb to take out a rocket launcher in its first-ever use in an operation on Sunday.

The Iron Sting, described as "an innovative and accurate mortar bomb," is one of a variety of weapons being used to thwart dozens of terrorists, the Israeli Air Force posted on X, along with video it said showed the 120mm mortar decimating an enemy rocket launcher. The Israeli army used the weapons system in conjunction with the Israeli Air Force.

The weapons system uses a "precise, laser and GPS guided mortar munition" to engage targets in dense, urban environments while "reducing the possibility of collateral damage and preventing injury to non-combatants," Elbit Systems, which developed the system, said in a 2021 news release.

"Its operational use will revolutionize ground warfare and equip battalions with organic, accurate and effective firepower," the release said.

[V V Camp Enari 67-68]

I find it very hard to understand how and why the Israel military officials didn’t
Know or suspect all this military build up long before the break out of this war. Some body or some entity was sure sleeping at the wheel on this one!

[Damifino]

I seem to recall from some years ago a system under development being reported in “Aviation Week & Space Technology” magazine — back when regular people could still read it — that would detect incoming theatre rounds — either artillery or rocket, quickly dispatch an out-going pin-point guided response round which would land on the original shooter’ positions BEFORE thier round even hit it’s target.

I worked on this system some years ago. Is/was called active protection sytem. The Isreali's have one that at the time was better than ours called TROPHY. Have no idea if these programs were ever fielded in a meaningful way. It did work fairly well in field testing.