Israeli Army Develops ‘Tammuz-4’ Missile with Electro-Optical Sensors

Streaks of light are seen from Ashkelon as Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets (Reuters)
Streaks of light are seen from Ashkelon as Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets (Reuters)
TT
20

Israeli Army Develops ‘Tammuz-4’ Missile with Electro-Optical Sensors

Streaks of light are seen from Ashkelon as Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets (Reuters)
Streaks of light are seen from Ashkelon as Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets (Reuters)

Israel's Rafael defense contractor, will unveil during the Eurosatory defense expo in Paris the sixth-generation missile "Tammuz-4," equipped with electro-optical sensors.

The company spokesman said the missile could be launched in a salvo of up to four missiles and an extended range of 50 kilometers when launched by helicopter.

The missile has a 32-kilometer range when launched from a ground-based system.

A single operator can launch up to four missiles at once, which "significantly increases the gamut of long-range targets that can be hit, and thereby strengthens the element of surprise," the company said.

The missile also has the feature of what the company called a "hand over" mode, where the rocket can be launched by one system and then controlled by another seamlessly.

"With the help of images provided by various electro-optical sensors, the missile locates the target on its own, marks it, and helps the operator neutralize it more accurately and simply," the company said.

The new features are helpful when attempting to hit a specific target among similar targets in the same area.

The first version of the missile became operational 40 years ago and is used in 39 countries.

Israel does not explicitly say that it is developing this missile for its war with Iran and its militias.

The general manager of Rafael's Land and Naval Division, Ran Gozali, said the new missile's development addresses the Israeli army's unique challenges in its next war, which will take place over long distances.

Head of the Precision Tactical Weapons Systems Division Zvi Marmor said this missile began developing after the war in October 1973, and the fourth version of it has now been invented in light of the changing challenges.

Marmor confirmed that the new missile would be displayed for the first time next week at the Eurosatory expo.



Norway PM Wants Oil Fund to Review Stake in Israeli Company

This aerial view shot from a German Air Force (Luftwaffe) military transport aircraft during an airdrop relief mission shows the scene in the Gaza Strip on August 5, 2025. (AFP)
This aerial view shot from a German Air Force (Luftwaffe) military transport aircraft during an airdrop relief mission shows the scene in the Gaza Strip on August 5, 2025. (AFP)
TT
20

Norway PM Wants Oil Fund to Review Stake in Israeli Company

This aerial view shot from a German Air Force (Luftwaffe) military transport aircraft during an airdrop relief mission shows the scene in the Gaza Strip on August 5, 2025. (AFP)
This aerial view shot from a German Air Force (Luftwaffe) military transport aircraft during an airdrop relief mission shows the scene in the Gaza Strip on August 5, 2025. (AFP)

Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said Tuesday he had asked the country's finance minister to look into the country's sovereign wealth fund having invested in an Israeli jet engine maker, even as the war in Gaza raged.

Norway's sovereign wealth fund, also known as the oil fund as it is fueled by vast revenue from the country's oil and gas exports, is the biggest in the world and with a value of some $1.9 trillion, with investments spanning the globe.

On Monday, Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten reported that the fund had invested in Israeli Bet Shemesh Engines Holdings, which manufactures parts for jet engines used in Israeli fighter jets.

"I get very concerned when I see this," Store told broadcaster NRK on Tuesday.

Store added that he had asked the finance minister to get in touch with the country's central bank, which manages the fund, "to find out what the situation is."

Nicolai Tangen, CEO of Norges Bank Investment Management, confirmed on Tuesday that the fund had purchased a stake in the company in 2023 and that it had increased its holdings after the Israeli offensive in Gaza begun.

Tangen said the fund now owned over two percent of the company's shares.

Speaking to broadcaster TV2, the head of the ethics council evaluating whether companies live up to the fund's ethical guidelines, Svein Richard Brandtzaeg, said the council had not deemed the sale of aircraft engines to Israel covered by the ethical guidelines.

"We have therefore not investigated companies that maintain aircraft engines. We will now consider this. The fund has comprehensive ethical guidelines, but there is still room for discretion on the part of the council," he told TV2.

Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday afternoon told a press conference he still had confidence in Tangen, following calls that the fund head should resign.

Stoltenberg stressed that the central bank and the fund were "responsible for implementation and enforcement based on the overall guidelines," news agency NTB reported.

The news agency added that Stoltenberg had also requested a new review of the fund's investments in Israel.