The LORA (Long Range Artillery) is a short-range, road-mobile, ground and sea-launched solid fueled ballistic missile developed and operated by Israel. It has a range of 280 km.

LORA Development

According to reports in 2005, the LORA was the result of a collaboration between Israel Aerospace Industries, MLM Division, and IMI.¹ The missile was first publicly shown in 2006 at the Eurosatory exposition and then officially displayed in 2007 and 2011 at the Paris Air Show.²

Specifications

According to Israel Aerospace Industries, the missile’s manufacturer, the LORA has a diameter of 0.624 m and a length of 5.2 m, with a launch weight of approximately 1,600 kg.³ It can carry a payload of up to 600 kg, and can deploy a single high explosive (HE) warhead or submunitions.⁴ It uses Inertial Navigation System/Global Positioning System and TV for terminal guidance, with possible in-flight maneuvering capability. The missile has a maximum range of 280 km and a likely accuracy of around 10 m CEP.⁵

The missiles are carried in quadruple packs by ships, or by 6 x 6 vehicles. When kept inside hermetically sealed containers, the missiles can have a shelf life of 7 years.⁶

Service History

The missile was reportedly test fired in November 2003, March 2004, and in 2006. It is believed to have entered service in Israel in 2007.⁷ In June 2017, Israel test-fired a LORA again from the deck of a container ship.

The LORA missile is known to be deployed in Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic as of May 2018.⁸ The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan announced on June 11, 2018, the creation of a new Missile Troops unit to operate the LORA and other missiles deployed at a newly built facility.⁹ Azerbaijan acquired the LORA missile system in a recent military build up as a part of its ongoing conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karbakh or Artsakh territory.¹⁰ The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Artsakh reportedly identified Azerbaijani troops moving LORA missile systems along the contact line in a video recorded on June 12, 2018.¹¹

In October 2020, Azerbaijan used the LORA during its conflict with Armenia over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. According to reports, Baku attempted to use the LORA to target a bridge that connects Armenia to the disputed region, effectively limiting its ability to reinforce its positions.¹² Imagery of the bridge after the attack suggested the attack resulted in limited damage.