Almas () is a family of unlicensed Iranian copies of the Israeli
Spike
Spike, spikes, or spiking may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Books
* ''The Spike'' (novel), a novel by Arnaud de Borchgrave
* ''The Spike'' (Broderick book), a nonfiction book by Damien Broderick
* ''The Spike'', a starship in Peter ...
family of
surface-to-surface
A surface-to-surface missile (SSM) is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea and strike targets on land or at sea. They may be fired from hand-held or vehicle mounted devices, from fixed installations, or from a ship. They ar ...
and
air-to-surface
An air-to-surface missile (ASM) or air-to-ground missile (AGM) is a missile designed to be launched from military aircraft at targets on land or sea. There are also unpowered guided glide bombs not considered missiles. The two most common pro ...
missiles
A missile is an airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight aided usually by a propellant, jet engine or rocket motor.
Historically, 'missile' referred to any projectile that is thrown, shot or propelled towards a target; this u ...
used for anti-armor attacks.
History
Iran reportedly was transferred Israeli Spike MR missiles that were captured during the
2006 Lebanon War
The 2006 Lebanon War was a 34-day armed conflict in Lebanon, fought between Hezbollah and Israel. The war started on 12 July 2006, and continued until a United Nations-brokered ceasefire went into effect in the morning on 14 August 2006, thoug ...
by Hezbollah,
which were converted into an unlicensed variant of the missile that was designated the Almas-1.
The ground-launched ATGM version was unveiled in public on 7 July 2021.
It was shown overseas at the MILEX 2023 exhibition held in May in Belarus
and at the Partner 2023 exhibition held in September in Serbia.
On 25 January 2024, a video was released that appeared to show Hezbollah forces using the system against an Israeli surveillance outpost
at Shlomi.
On 27 January 2024, another attack involving the Almas was reported at Rosh HaNikra.
Variants
Almas-1
Exact copy of the Spike with a range of 4,000 meters and weight of 15 kg.
Almas-2
Has a range of 8,000 meters when fired from the ground with claims of penetrating up to 1,000 mm of armor.
Almas-3
Clone of the Spike ER with its warhead based on a two-stage high-explosive or thermobaric type.
Almas-4
Almas-4, the newer generation of this missile, among other improvements, send clearer images of its flight back to its operators. According to CAT-UXO, a munitions awareness group, this missile can carry two types of warheads. One can detonate in two phases, making it easier to penetrate armor. The other is a fuel-air bomb that explodes into a fireball.
Operators
*: Known to be using the Almas. They claim to possess Almas-1/2/3.
*: Reverse engineered Spike-MR with modifications. Originally captured by Hezbollah during the 2006 Lebanon War and given to Iran.
References
{{reflist
Air-to-surface missiles of Iran
Military equipment introduced in the 2020s
Guided missiles of Iran
Iranian military-related lists
Post–Cold War weapons of Iran