Israel launches new spy satellite in 'message' to enemies
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The satellite’s launch on the night of Sept 2 came two months after a 12-day war between Israel and Iran.
PHOTO: ISRAEL KATZ/X
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JERUSALEM - Israel has launched a new spy satellite into orbit in what the country’s Defence Minister Israel Katz described on Sept 3 as a “message” to its enemies that they are under continuous surveillance.
“The launch of the Ofek 19 satellite yesterday is an achievement of the highest global level. Few countries possess these capabilities,” Mr Katz wrote on X.
“This is also a message to all our enemies, wherever they may be – we are keeping an eye on you at all times and in every situation,” he added.
The satellite’s launch on the night of Sept 2 came two months after a 12-day war between Israel and Iran
Over 12,000 satellite images of Iranian territory were collected to direct the strikes, according to Mr Daniel Gold, head of the Defence Ministry’s research and development directorate.
The operation “underscored that having advanced observation capabilities in our region is critical for achieving aerial and ground superiority,” said Mr Boaz Levy, chief executive of state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries, which worked on the project alongside the Defence Ministry.
Israel joined the club of space powers in 1988 with the deployment of its first Ofek satellite. AFP
