'A dangerous player': Hezbollah's secret naval threat

Israeli Navy officials say that Hezbollah still has a functioning naval arm that possesses anti-ship missiles and potentially naval ballistic missiles as well.

The IDF has closely monitored Hezbollah’s naval capacities over the last decade; most of its attention was on the Russian-made supersonic Yakhont missile, described as the "nightmare of Western fleets." According to assessments, the missile was sold from Russia to Syria and was then transferred to Hezbollah.

Hezbollah has developed a secretive naval unit with Iran's support, though the IDF has successfully diminished some of its capabilities. The naval unit has sophisticated abilities, including coastal raids and vessel attacks. It has acquired advanced missiles and radars, some of which are similar to those possessed by the Houthis in Yemen. 

Navy officials believe that there is a low likelihood that Hezbollah will attempt a surprise naval attack because of the IDF's maritime alertness near Lebanese waters.

Hezbollah struck the INS Hanit with a C-802 missile during the Second Lebanon War, but the organization has upgraded its arsenal since then. 

Field experts weigh in

The IDF’s current assumption is that Iran smuggled a wide variety of missiles to Hezbollah before and during the current war.

"The Houthis used a naval ballistic missile that surprised many Western intelligence agencies," said an Israeli field expert. "It has an electro-optical capability to acquire a target. It's a dangerous player. It comes from a very high altitude and descends on the vessel at a sharp angle. The naval Iron Dome can deal with it, but it’s a new and challenging threat in the arena.

"We knew the Chinese had similar missiles, but the Iranians were surprised by upgrading the capability and transferring it to the Houthis, who a year ago missed quite a few ships but have started improving. There's documentation showing their missile hitting a ship at a 40-degree angle—it's still a challenge. The sharper it descends from above, the harder it is to intercept, not only for the defense of ships but also platforms (rigs)."