The IDF has seized masses of weapons from Hezbollah in almost two months of fighting on the ground in Lebanon, including rocket launchers, vehicles with mounted machine guns, anti-tank missiles, rifles, and RPG launchers.
The weapons run the gamut from those supplied by Iran to weapons with Russian origins. Some are old, likely dating back decades, and some were found in boxes, unwrapped by the terrorist group. The IDF has released photos of some of these weapons and has even put some on display.
What do these weapons tell us?
Vehicles
Hezbollah used a variety of vehicles to mount rocket launchers and guns, some found in villages in southern Lebanon. The vehicles include ATVs that Hezbollah could use to quickly move its forces into position to launch anti-tank missiles and a number of civilian trucks repurposed to carry rocket launchers and machine guns.
Hezbollah often chose Toyota trucks to mount its weapons, but it also used Jeeps and Chevy and GMC trucks. The rocket launchers are mounted on the back and can usually launch a barrage of rockets. For instance, most have a barrel set-up that includes 12 tubes for projectiles that can fire 107mm rockets. They also had M-80 launchers on the backs of trucks. These rockets weigh around 10kg., and Hezbollah unveiled this system recently in a video posted on Iranian state media.
The trucks enable Hezbollah to move these systems to the front quickly and fire from various locations. The trucks also appear outwardly as civilian vehicles in most cases, so one can easily disguise the launcher in the back by placing something over it, such as a carpet or blanket. Once Israel began its ground operation and air campaign against Hezbollah, it was likely hard for the terror group to move these systems around, leaving many of the trucks to be found and seized.
107mm rockets
Hezbollah uses 107mm rockets, which have a weight of 18kg. and are about the length of a person’s arm. The missiles are ubiquitous among Iranian-backed groups. Iran has sought to move similar types of rockets to Gaza in the past and has also moved them to Iraq to supply Iranian-backed militias there. In 2019 and 2020, Iraqi militias often used these rockets to target US forces there. The rockets do not have a long-range, likely around seven miles.
The rockets found in Lebanon appear to be a very typical Iranian-made variety. This is clear from the color of the munition casing and other details, such as the printed manufacture date on the side. Some rockets say they were made in 2007, meaning that Iran supplied these to Hezbollah after the 2006 Second Lebanon War to replenish its stocks. Hezbollah had around 13,000 rockets in 2006. By 2023, it had 150,000.
The 107mm rocket is also easy to transport. They can be loaded into crates, transported, and easily disguised as something other than rockets. Moving thousands of these rockets is not very difficult. This explains, in some part, the large arsenal Hezbollah acquired.
Hezbollah often placed these rockets inside tubes ready to fire. Usually, these are in tubes that consist of 12 tubes, so they can be fired in a barrage of 12 or 24 rockets at a time. They can likely be remotely fired from a fixed position in the ground, or they can be fired from a mount on a truck.
81mm mortars
Hezbollah also acquired a plethora of 81mm mortars. These have manufacture dates of 2009, 2011, 2012, and probably other dates. The mortars are also short-range, and Hezbollah used them earlier in the war against Israel. Once Hezbollah was pushed back from the border, it seems to have reduced its use of mortars. However, it is clear that the group acquired a significant amount of these munitions.
Some of those found and photographed after being seized in Lebanon by the IDF appeared like new as if they had been trafficked to Hezbollah and sat around for years.
The mortars can be launched from a tube on a tripod. These also include tubes for 120mm mortars, which Hezbollah also acquired.
Anti-tank weapons
Hezbollah acquired a large number of anti-tank missiles and RPGs, including kornet anti-tank missiles and PG-7 AT rounds. These are likely Iranian-made RPG-7 projectiles of the same type that have been found in Yemen. One source says they are called Fath in Iran.
They were trafficked to Hezbollah in boxes weighing 30kg. that contain six rounds each. Manufacture dates include 2008 and 2010, meaning they were made many years ago in Iran.
Another system that Hezbollah mounted on ATVs is the 9P163-1 portable launcher for the Kornet-E. It can be used with a sight-tracker and thermal sights, which makes it very precise. It is used with the 9M133 model of Kornet anti-tank missiles. The system has been around since the 1990s and was designed by the Russians to be used against tanks. Hezbollah has used anti-tank weapons to target homes and also various types of vehicles.
Drones, rifles, and launchers
Hezbollah also acquired masses of AK-47s, Draganov sniper rifles, and other types of large caliber rifles, in addition to various types of launchers that can fire anti-tank weapons. For instance, Hezbollah acquired the Iranian Toophan system, which sits on a heavy tripod with an optical viewfinder and fires anti-tank-guided missiles. Iran also sent Hezbollah SPG-9 launchers.
Hezbollah developed drones locally that it has used in the war.
In general, Hezbollah lost large amounts of weapons in southern Lebanon, including rockets, mortars, and anti-tank weapons. These had been stored in homes and villages that were overrun by the IDF. Hezbollah likely left these weapons in various areas so that it could use them at a moment’s notice. Confiscating them is an important achievement.