Israel announced on Wednesday that it had launched a new spy satellite into orbit, called Ofek 19. According to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, “This is also a message to all our enemies, wherever they may be: we are watching you constantly and under all circumstances.” For his part, Israeli President Isaac Herzog declared that “Israel is not only a start-up nation, it is a space nation.”
Engaged on several fronts in the Middle East in recent months—such as in Gaza, Iran and Lebanon—Israel is heavily relying on intelligence gathering. During the attacks against Iran, Israel had collected more than 12,000 satellite images of Iranian territory, according to Daniel Gold, head of the Defense Ministry’s Research and Development Department.
The new satellite was designed by Israel Aerospace Industries, with support from several branches of the Israeli defense industry, such as ELTA Systems, SMS, MLM and the Tomer and Rafael groups, which specialize in propulsion systems.
The operation in Iran “highlighted the essential need for advanced observation capabilities in our region in order to ensure air and ground superiority,” said Boaz Levy, CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries.
The satellite was launched into orbit at 10:30 PM on Tuesday from the Palmachim base, south of Tel Aviv, using a three-stage Shavit launcher. It is equipped with a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), enabling it to produce high-resolution images both day and night, under all weather conditions.
After an orbital testing phase, the satellite will be transferred to Unit 9900 of the Israeli army, which specializes in imagery and geospatial intelligence.
Israel launched the Ofek program in 1988, and its last spy satellite launch dates back to 2023. The long-term goal is to have enough satellites to maintain permanent surveillance across the entire Middle East and to preserve technological and intelligence superiority.
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