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Geopolitics · Iran · Israel · Missile Production
In a daring September raid, Israeli IDF commandos destroyed critical planetary mixers at a Syrian missile facility, crippling Iran's solid rocket fuel production and significantly disrupting precision missile plans for Hezbollah and the Syrian army for at least two years.
The facility in Masyaf, built by the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center (CERS) with Iranian expertise, produced Fateh-110 and Emad precision surface-to-surface missiles. Planetary mixers are essential for creating homogeneous solid rocket fuel, which enables rapid missile launches without on-site fueling and enhances range and precision.
The operation, based on precise intelligence, specifically targeted these mixers, not the entire underground plant. Israeli Air Force (IAF) bombings forced guards into hiding, allowing Shaldag unit commandos to rappel in, secure the entrance, and plant explosives.
The entire raid lasted approximately 20 minutes. Post-operation, the explosives detonated, destroying the mixers.
These specialized mixers are rare globally, with few remaining in the Shiite axis, except for one or two held by the Houthis. Subsequent Israeli airstrikes in October, publicly acknowledged as Operation Days of Repentance, further degraded Iran's air defense and ballistic missile production capabilities, damaging two buildings in the Khojir missile production complex near Tehran.
The New York Times and Saudi site Elaph reported the targeting of these critical components, valued at a minimum of $2 million each. Sources familiar with Iran’s missile industry estimate a minimum of two years for factory restoration, severely impacting Iran’s missile production.
