“Rafael, “Israel’s” state-owned armaments company, has finally admitted to the existence of the long-range Dandy anti-tank missile, 15 months after The Daily Star revealed that the “Israeli” Army was test-firing the weapon in south Lebanon.

“The London-based Jane’s Defense Weekly said that the missile, the largest of a family of three anti-tank rockets, is designed to be launched from ground platforms or helicopter gunships, notably the AH-1 Cobra, which is used by the “Israelis” in the south.

“The sophisticated rocket can be launched in “fire-and-forget” mode or can be directed to its target by an operator through a fiber-optic link. The missile is packed with a tandem high-explosive anti-tank warhead for use against the reactive armor of armored vehicles.

“The missile has a range of 6 kilometers, according to Rafael, almost double that of the TOW anti-tank rocket presently in service with the “Israeli” Army.

“The Dandy is believed to have been fired in south Lebanon at least six times since February 1998. One civilian was killed and another four were wounded in the attacks. The most recent known incident was in June when a Dandy was fired from the “Israeli”-manned Taibeh outpost in the central sector at a house in Qabrikha. Two civilians were wounded in the blast.

“The Daily Star revealed in August last year that the Dandy was being tested in south Lebanon. Rafael at the time denied such a missile existed.

Rafael has been busy marketing the Dandy along with its two smaller brothers ­ the shoulder-fired Gill, with a range of 2.5 kilometers, and the medium-range Spike, which can hit targets up to 4 kilometers away.

“Poland turned Rafael down last year but another European country is believed to be considering purchasing the weapon.

“Last year, Rafael formed the EuroSpike consortium with the German company STN Atlas, Diehl and Rheinmetal to produce, market and sell the weapons to foreign governments.

“Israel’s” occupation of south Lebanon has provided a useful opportunity for Rafael to boast of the missile’s combat-proven qualities, an invaluable aid in marketing the weapon to potential clients.

“While Hizbullah has nothing in its armory comparable to the Dandy missile, the expanded use of air power by the “Israelis” in recent weeks has led the resistance to adopt new tactics in staging attacks against the occupation forces.

“Security sources said that Hizbullah and Amal fighters are relying increasingly on timing mechanisms to launch Katyusha rockets, enabling the fighters to be well away from the area before the missiles are fired.

“Hizbullah has stepped up the use of Katyusha rockets in the past two months, partly due to the acquisition of the 107mm short-range version and partly because the threat of swift retaliation from “Israeli” aircraft has forced the resistance to rely on timers.

“Mortars, the principal artillery weapon of the resistance, can only fire one round by timer, an ineffective and expensive way of conducting operations given that a single round will achieve little damage and the abandoned weapon would probably be destroyed in the retaliatory air strike.

“The security sources added that the resistance is even attaching timers to their Sagger anti-tank rockets, generally used to ambush “Israeli” and SLA* militia patrols and pound the fortifications of hilltop outposts.

“Although “Israel’s” increased reliance on air power has failed to reduce resistance operations, the battlefields of south Lebanon are becoming awash with sophisticated electronic monitoring devices and weapons systems which almost precludes the necessity of deploying ground forces. Pilotless planes ­ drones ­ constantly scan the ground for movement, the frontline areas are covered by portable battlefield radar units with a range of around 5 kilometers, TV cameras are placed in remote wadis and barrage balloons equipped with TV cameras can observe a vast tract of territory at any one time.

“This comprehensive surveillance system is designed to provide the “Israelis” with the earliest possible warning allowing them to respond to any resistance activity swiftly and accurately with pinpoint air strikes by helicopter gunships or warplanes.

“The “Israeli” Army is in the process of winding down troop activities to a minimum in the months preceding the anticipated withdrawal from Lebanon. Thus, reliance on air power and high-tech observation equipment and armaments will become increasingly vital to ensure that the “Israeli” Army can continue to fulfill its perceived role in the zone without incurring politically unacceptable troop casualties”.