The Hezbollah-Israel conflict: what is the arsenal of the “Party of God”?

On October 7, 2023, while Hamas was carrying out an attack on Israeli military facilities and civilian settlements in the vicinity of the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah forces amassed in the southern area of Lebanon launched heavy artillery attacks on the territory of the State of Israel. The attacks marked the start of a 10-month long border conflict that has caused heavy casualties among fighters on both sides. Heavily equipped with weapons and military equipment (including state-of-the-art combat gear) and protected by bunkers and minefields, Hezbollah fighters have time and again demonstrated they can be a dangerous foe, even for one of the best equipped and most prepared armies in world, the Israel Defense Forces (Tzva Hahagana LeIsrael).

A military force unlike any other in the Middle East

Unlike Hamas, which, from a military point of view, is a paramilitary force in the classic sense of the word and whose arsenal comprises mainly infantry weapons and various types of missiles, Hezbollah presents a number of peculiarities, which puts it on a more equal footing with traditional military forces, while retaining its paramilitary character. Its structure, strategy and organization are specific to certain insurgent forces, although Hezbollah has heavy fighting equipment, such as artillery systems. The best similar example in history in this regard is the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam (the famous Việt Cộng), which, through similar strategies, became a force to be reckoned with, inflicting significant losses to the most technologically advanced military in the world, the US Army.

Set up in 1982 after Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, Hezbollah and its various denominations, branches and factions - the Amn al-Muddad (foreign) and Amn al-Hizb (domestic security and protection) intelligence services; the External Security Organization, al-Amn al-Khariji (also known as Unit 910); the Jihad Council (which has oversight over Hezbollah’s armed forces); the Islamic Resistance (Al-Muqāwamah Al-Islāmīyah); the Resistance Brigades, etc. - were actively involved in the civil war in this country. Funded and supported by Iran and Syria, Hezbollah has turned its attention to Israel, the main pillar of security and stability in the area, against which it has launched a sustained campaign of asymmetric warfare and terrorism. Although it capitalized on its military strength and popular support to take full control of a a large area in southern Lebanon, now removed from the Beirut’s control (which, from the point of view of international law, might seem a paradox, given Hezbollah is not a de jure state actor), the organization is able to launch and wage wars in every sense of the word. After Israel’s 2006 invasion of southern Lebanon in response to Hezbollah’s acts of aggression, the organization shot to international notoriety through its active participation in the Syrian civil war.

Hezbollah forces rely on an arsenal made up of infantry weapons of various calibers and origins, classic and response artillery systems, tanks, armored personnel carriers, mobile and fixed anti-aircraft systems, as well as ballistic missiles. All this gear is designed to fit a military force totaling 100,000 combatants, according to the leader of the group. Western experts say the figure might be overestimated, putting Hezbollah’s active duty military staff at around 30,000, and its reserves at around 20,000 fighters, an estimate which they say better reflects reality on the ground. Their status varies quite significantly, from “contract” servicemen who receive a certain amount of money for military service performed over a specified period of time, to the bulk of “village militias” and the various volunteer organizations, which Hezbollah provides with weapons, ammunition and part of the equipment.

Fighters equipped with US camouflage gear, boasting an eclectic arsenal

The vast majority of images and videos taken from the 1990s until the end of the last decade depict Hezbollah fighters equipped with American M81 “Woodland” camouflage outfits and brandishing various models of the M16 assault rifle, also US-made. This apparent paradox is easier to understand if we look at Hezbollah’s large variety of supply sources for weapons and equipment. Thus, the organization purchases infantry weapons with the help of Iran and Syria, which are both suppliers and intermediaries for third parties. Iran, one of the top purchasers of cutting-edge American military technology in the monarchy period, developed a national defense industry after the 1979 overthrow of the Shah by copying combat technology in service. One of the best such examples is the BGM-71A TOW anti-tank missile system, reproduced under the name “Toophan”. On the other hand, Syria facilitates the acquisition and transfer of modern Russian anti-tank systems, such as the 9M113 “Kornet”, which Hezbollah militants have adapted to counter the active protection systems of Israeli Merkava tanks. In addition to various models of the M16, Hezbollah’s light infantry uses mostly Kalashnikov-based weapons, such as AKM, AK-74, RPK, etc.

“Kornet” anti-tank guided missile system mounted on a quad (Source: https://www.militantwire.com/p/weapons-used-by-hezbollah-during)

When it comes to armored combat vehicles, it’s worth mentioning that Hezbollah has an arsenal that is superior in terms of quality and quantity to those of many small countries, such as Albania and the Republic of Moldova, among others: T-55, T-62, T-72 and T-90 tanks, BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles, 2S1 “Gvozdika” self-propelled artillery systems and various types of armored personnel carriers (including of American origin). According to open sources, Hezbollah deploys all these various types of equipment only in Syria, where it was procured from the Syrian army loyal to Bashar al-Assad.

The “home” arsenal, meaning Hezbollah’s military technology and capabilities in southern Lebanon, consists of classic and response artillery systems and a significant number of drones of different models, in addition to infantry weapons. All these systems are used together as part of a carpet-bombing strategy, designed to hit a target area with as many strikes as possible, using a large amount of ammunition over a short period of time, in order to inflict significant losses and thwart the enemy’s efforts to regroup and organize its defenses, thus creating a breach in its defensive system. Knowing they do not possess the technological capabilities and financial power to rival one of the world's most modern armed forces, Hezbollah's political and military leadership turned to tactics specific to wars of attrition. The strategy involves exhausting the resources of Israel's air defense system by launching a large number of projectiles and missiles that will eventually succeed in penetrating the famous “Iron Dome”.

Israel’s unchallenged air superiority, which allows its forces to strike with impunity any target on the territory of Lebanon and Syria, is yet to be effectively countered by Hezbollah. The terrorist group’s Lebanon weapons cache includes a large, yet still ineffective, number of short-range “Strela” and “Igla” portable anti-aircraft systems of various models and 23mm anti-aircraft cannons. In addition to all this, Hezbollah also seems to rely on a few short- and medium-range systems, such as the 9K33 “Osa”, the 9K40 Buk-M2 and the Pantsir-S1, purchased from Syria and Iran, which are apparently still on Syrian territory.

Hezbollah’s classic artillery, which might seem less spectacular compared to other systems, but which nevertheless retains a high degree of lethality, consists of parts designed and manufactured in the former Soviet Union, some of which are mounted on civilian trucks, while others are embedded in fortifications. One such recent example is the case of the Soviet 152mm howitzer (ML-20, M1937), which was used earlier this month to open fire on an Israeli settlement close to the country's northern border.

The Soviet-made M-46 (130mm cal.) mounted on a civilian truck (Source: https://www.militantwire.com/p/weapons-used-by-hezbollah-during)

According to some analyses, its response artillery arsenal consists of approximately 130,000 – 150,000 missiles of various calibers. From the Soviet 122mm Grad missiles with a range of 40 km and ballistic missiles such as the Iranian Fateh-110, which are capable of carrying 500-kg payloads over a range of 300 kilometers, to the famous “Scud” missiles that have a range of about 700 kilometers, Hezbollah's arsenal is as diverse as it is lethal.

Hezbollah has managed to manufacture its own drones

Unmanned aerial vehicles, like all other categories of military equipment, create a heterogeneous arsenal consisting of devices of various sizes, classes and origins. From the first flight of a Hezbollah UAV over Israeli territory in 2004, to the barrage of hundreds of suicide drones launched from October 2023 until now, the terrorist group has displayed remarkable evolutionary adaptability in this technological field.

Anti-drone weapon system used by Hezbollah (Source: https://www.militantwire.com/p/weapons-used-by-hezbollah-during)

In addition to commercial drones purchased on the open market and refitted to serve specific military needs, Hezbollah has managed, among other things, to manufacture its own heavy combat drone called “Ayoub”. The drone was built with help from Iran, and its technical characteristics closely resemble the specs of the Shahed-129 model. Although it was top of the line at the time of its entry into service, the drone today is apparently supplemented and will most likely be replaced by Iranian UAVs such as “Mohajer”, “Shahed”, “Samed”, “Karrar” and “Saegheh”. With a drone fleet estimated to total a few thousand units of all types and classes, Hezbollah is a formidable opponent for the Israel Defense Forces.

An eventual escalation of the conflict and its transformation into a full-scale war could have the most catastrophic of effects. At the cost of significant military losses, Israel’s victory is highly possible, but the threat of Israel’s air defenses being overrun also carries the likelihood of high civilian casualties.