Israel’s Blue Sparrow missile is in the news these days. According to reports, it was used during the attack in Iran. It is an air-launched ballistic missile which first goes close to space and then attacks the target at high speed.
Iran-Israel War Day 7: The US-Israel war with Iran is taking a frightening form. Meanwhile, it has been revealed that the advanced missile with which Israel-America targeted Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint operation on February 28 is named Blue Sparrow. It is being told that more than 30 missiles were fired at Khamenei’s house.
What is Blue Sparrow Missile?
Blue Sparrow is an advanced ballistic missile of Israel, which is usually launched from fighter planes. Its special thing is that it adopts a specific flight path before attacking its target. Its flight path is such that it first reaches the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere and then falls towards its target at extremely high speed. For this reason it is also often called ‘space missile’.
Range and technical capability of Blue Sparrow missile
According to the report, the range of this missile is said to be about 2,000 kilometers. This missile moves on ballistic trajectory, that is, it first goes up and then rapidly falls on the target. This missile leaves a re-entry vehicle in its path, which attacks the target at extremely high speed.
Blue Sparrow Missile: A Look
- Length approx 6.5 meters
- Weight about 1.9 tons
- Launch Platform: Fighter Aircraft
- Flight Path: Ballistic Trajectory
Claim to attack Iran through Iraq
According to the report, debris of the Blue Sparrow missile has been found in western Iraq. This indicates that during the attack the missile flew over Iraq and then struck its target in Iran. This method is adopted so that the attack can be made more accurate.
Ability to dodge air-defense systems
The Forbes report quoted some defense analysts as saying that some versions of the Sparrow missile system have been modified in such a way that fighter aircraft can launch ballistic-style weapons from long ranges. Due to this, the aircraft does not need to go close to the enemy air-defense system. This means that even heavily protected targets can be attacked from a distance.
Blue Sparrow is part of the Sparrow missile family.
The Blue Sparrow is part of a larger family of Israeli missiles. It also includes other missiles, like Black Sparrow, Silver Sparrow. In fact, these systems were first designed to mimic Soviet Scud missiles, so that air-defense systems could be tested.
Why is it difficult to stop?
The biggest feature of the Blue Sparrow missile is its high speed and altitude. When this missile comes back close to space, its attack is very fast and sudden. Due to this, the air-defense system is left with very little time to react. For this reason, this missile is generally used only in very sensitive and special military operations.
Connection of India and Blue Sparrow technology
According to reports, India has not directly purchased the Blue Sparrow missile, but has included the ROCKS (Crystal Maze-2) missile based on the same technology in its arsenal. The Indian Air Force also conducted a successful flight test of this missile from its fighter aircraft in April 2024.