Jericho (missile)
| Company type | Military program |
|---|---|
| Industry | Defense, aerospace |
| Founded | 1960s |
| Headquarters | Israel |
| Products | Ballistic missiles (Jericho I, Jericho II, Jericho III, Jericho IV) |
| Parent | Israeli defense sector |
Jericho () designates a series of Israeli ballistic missiles developed starting in the 1960s. The designation originates from the initial Jericho I agreement signed with Dassault Aviation in 1963, named after the ancient city of Jericho from the Bible. Although much information remains confidential, data from testing, official disclosures, and publicly available sources—particularly concerning the Shavit satellite launch vehicle—provide valuable insights.
Subsequent Jericho models are connected to the Shavit and Shavit II space launchers, which evolved from the Jericho II MRBM, and paved the way for the Jericho III ICBM. According to assessments by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the Shavit could be modified into an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of delivering a 500 kg warhead across 7,500 km. Additional knowledge is drawn from South Africa’s RSA missile program, believed to be licensed versions of the Jericho II/Shavit (RSA-3) and incorporating Jericho-based technology in the RSA-4. Following South Africa’s nuclear disarmament, these systems were repurposed for commercial satellite launches, resulting in publicly accessible technical details.
The civilian Shavit launcher has also been analyzed for deployment via air launch from a Boeing 747, paralleling U.S. experiments with airborne ICBM launches.
Jericho I
The Jericho I missile was first recognized as an operational short-range ballistic missile system by late 1971. It measured approximately 7.5 meters in length and 0.65 meters in diameter, weighed around 4,800 kg, and had an estimated range of 500 km with a CEP near 300 meters. Its payload capacity was around 400 kg, designed primarily for nuclear warheads. Initial development involved French collaboration through Dassault starting in 1963; a model named MD-620 underwent testing in 1965. However, French involvement ceased following a 1968 arms embargo despite delivery of twelve missiles. Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) continued development at the Beit Zachariah site, investing nearly $1 billion by 1980 and integrating some American technology. Despite early challenges with guidance systems, roughly one hundred units were produced.
In 1969, Israel reached an understanding with the United States that Jericho missiles would not be deployed as strategic nuclear weapons before 1972.
During the October 1973 Yom Kippur War, Defense Minister Moshe Dayan alerted Prime Minister Golda Meir about Israel’s precarious situation, using "Temple" as a code word for nuclear arms. Meir authorized preparation of thirteen nuclear "physics packages" intended to arm Jericho I missiles and F-4 fighter jets for potential strikes against Syrian and Egyptian targets. The Jericho I’s operational range included key cities such as Damascus and Cairo when launched from secure locations. This nuclear readiness likely served as a strategic signal to the United States, which responded with Operation Nickel Grass, an airlift operation resupplying Israeli forces. Reports indicate Secretary of State Henry Kissinger informed Egyptian President Sadat that this airlift was triggered by Israel’s near deployment of nuclear weapons.
The Jericho I missile system was reportedly phased out during the 1990s and replaced by the longer-range Jericho II; these missiles were stored in underground facilities near Zekharia, southeast of Tel Aviv.
Jericho II
The Jericho II (YA-3) is a two-stage ballistic missile system powered by solid fuel, developed as the successor to the Jericho I. Classified variably as either a medium-range or an intermediate-range ballistic missile by different sources, it is believed that up to 90 units are stored within caves near Zekharia (Sdot Micha Airbase), located southeast of Tel Aviv.
In 1975, Israel's request for Pershing II missiles with a range of 1,100 miles (1,770 km) was rejected by the United States amid peace talks concerning the Sinai Peninsula. Development of the Jericho II commenced in 1977, with testing activities reported by 1986. Indications point to its initial development being a joint Israeli-Iranian endeavor that ceased following the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Between 1987 and 1992, test launches primarily took place at Palmachim Airbase, including a significant 1,400 km range test conducted at South Africa’s Overberg Test Range in 1989.
The missile measures approximately 14.0 meters in length and 1.56 meters in diameter, with a launch mass near 26,000 kilograms. It is capable of delivering a payload weighing up to 1,000 kg, which can be either conventional explosives or a nuclear warhead with a yield of one megaton. The two-stage solid-fueled propulsion system and separable warhead allow deployment from silos, rail-based platforms, or mobile launchers—providing enhanced survivability through mobility and concealment. Its terminal guidance incorporates an active radar homing system akin to that found on the Pershing II, enabling precise target engagement.
The Jericho II forms the basis for the three-stage, 23-ton Shavit NEXT satellite launcher, which was first launched from Palmachim in 1988. Based on Shavit’s launch capabilities, Jericho II’s estimated ballistic missile range is approximately 7,800 kilometers when carrying a 500 kg payload.
The missile's operational status during the 1991 Gulf War remains uncertain. Some reports suggest it entered service by 1989, while others indicate deployment occurred only after 1994. Satellite imagery reveals expansion activities at Sdot Micha Airbase between 1989 and 1993 consistent with accommodating Jericho II launch platforms, implying that deployment likely took place following the Gulf War period.
Jericho III
The Jericho III (YA-4) is an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with nuclear capability that is believed to have been introduced into service around 2011. It consists of two or three solid-propellant stages and carries a payload ranging from 1,000 to 1,300 kilograms. This payload may include a single nuclear warhead weighing approximately 750 kg with an estimated yield between 150 and 400 kiloton, or alternatively multiple low-yield MIRV warheads. The missile has an estimated mass near 30,000 kilograms and measures roughly 15.5 meters long by 1.56 meters in diameter. It is thought to be derived from an enhanced version of the Shavit space launch vehicle developed by Israel Aerospace Industries, featuring extended first and second stage motors.
Range estimates vary between , with some analyses suggesting it could reach up to 11,500 kilometers depending on the payload configuration. This capability provides Israel with strategic nuclear reach across regions including the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, most of North America, parts of South America, and northern Oceania. Its high terminal velocity improves its ability to penetrate regional Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) systems.
Significant test firings include a multi-stage ballistic missile trial in 2008 believed to involve Jericho III technology and a successful launch from Palmachim Airbase in November 2011. The associated launch platforms are reportedly deeply fortified underground to withstand potential first-strike nuclear attacks. Israeli defense officials characterized the outcome of the 2008 test as a substantial advancement in missile technology.
Analysts estimate that Jericho III can deliver a one-ton warhead over distances exceeding 5,000 kilometers. Additional tests conducted in July 2013 may have involved an upgraded variant known as Jericho 3A, which is thought to incorporate an improved propulsion motor.
Jericho IV
In 2019, Israel conducted a successful test flight of a missile identified by Israeli media as the "Jericho 4." However, detailed distinctions between this model and its predecessor, the Jericho 3, have not been publicly revealed. A report from 2024 characterizes the Jericho 4 as a three-stage missile designed to deliver fragmentation warheads.
South African RSA Series
South Africa produced the Jericho II/Shavit SLV under license, naming the series RSA for their space launch vehicles and ballistic missiles.
The RSA-3 was assembled by Houwteq, formerly part of Denel, near Cape Town, with launches tested at the Denel Overberg Test Range close to Bredasdorp. Engine trials were conducted at Rooi Els. Following South Africa's nuclear disarmament, development persisted focusing on commercial satellite launches, reaching its peak around 1992 involving between 50 and 70 companies and employing roughly 1,300 to 1,500 workers from both public and private sectors. The larger RSA-4, which integrated a first stage comparable to the Peacekeeper ICBM with upper stages derived from Jericho-2/RSA-3, was under development. The RSA-2 was essentially a domestic version of the Jericho II missile, while the RSA-1 replicated its second stage for deployment on mobile missile platforms.
These missile variants were built upon RSA-3 and RSA-4 launchers developed for South Africa’s space endeavors. According to Al J Venter, the RSA series was engineered to carry payloads around 340 kg, which suggests warhead weights near 200 kg—exceeding South Africa’s nuclear capacity during the late 1980s. Venter posits that the RSA missiles were intended primarily as credible delivery systems to complement separate nuclear tests, thereby strengthening diplomatic negotiating positions rather than serving as operational weapons.
During the late 1980s, three suborbital rocket launches supported the development of the RSA-3-launched Greensat Orbital Management System aimed at commercial satellite tracking and regional planning. After South Africa abandoned its nuclear weapons program in 1989, missile development continued until military funding ended in 1992; all ballistic missile projects ceased by mid-1993. To gain entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime, South Africa allowed U.S. oversight during the dismantling of key facilities associated with its missile and space launch programs.
| Variant | Date of launch | Launch site | Payload | Mission outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSA-3 | June 1, 1989 | Denel Overberg Test Range | South Africa RSA-3-d 1 | Apogee: 100 km (62 mi) |
| RSA-3 | July 6, 1989 | Denel Overberg Test Range | South Africa RSA-3 2 | Apogee: 300 km (190 mi) |
| RSA-3 | November 19, 1990 | Denel Overberg Test Range | South Africa RSA-3 3 | Apogee: 300 km (190 mi) |
By June 1994, South Africa terminated its RSA-3 and RSA-4 satellite launch vehicle programs.
Jericho I
According to journalist Seymour Hersh, during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Prime Minister Golda Meir ordered preparations involving Jericho I missiles stationed at Sdot Micha Airbase alongside nuclear-capable F-4 Phantom IIs. This reportedly included equipping up to twenty kiloton nuclear warheads. Intended targets encompassed military command centers in both Cairo and Damascus, with destructive power comparable to that of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Jericho II and III
According to analysts from the Federation of American Scientists, including Hans M. Kristensen, the medium-range Jericho II missile, developed during the 1980s, targets strategic locations such as western Iran and southern Soviet urban centers like Yerevan, Tbilisi, and Sevastopol, which houses the Black Sea Fleet.
The Jericho III missile, completed in the 2000s, possesses the capability to reach all areas of Iran, Pakistan, and European Russia west of the Ural Mountains, encompassing cities such as Tehran and Moscow.
See also
External links
- Israel Missile Update – Wisconsin Project (archived)
- Jericho 3 Ballistic Missile – Sketchup Model (archived)
- Feasibility of Third World Advanced Ballistic and Cruise Missile Threat – NDIA (archived)