- By Chetna Shree
- Fri, 06 Mar 2026 06:13 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Iran-Israel War: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a major strike during a coordinated military operation launched by the United States and Israel on February 28 that targeted senior leadership compounds and strategic facilities in Iran, escalating tensions across West Asia.
According to a News18 report, Israel used an advanced jet-launched ballistic weapon known as the Blue Sparrow, often described as a "missile from space" due to its high-arcing trajectory.
The missile, which has a range of about 1,240 miles, reportedly travelled to the edge of the Earth's atmosphere before plunging back at high speed, striking the compound where Iran's political and military leadership had convened.
The Blue Sparrow is a part of a family of Israeli missiles, which also includes the Black Sparrow and Silver Sparrow.
What Is Blue Sparrow?
- Missile Family: The Blue Sparrow is a part of a family of air-launched ballistic target missiles developed by Rafael Advanced Defence Systems to simulate various ballistic threats for Israel's air-launched ballistic target missiles.
- Specifications: The Blue Sparrow is approximately 6.5 metres long and weighs around 1,900 kg before launch. It is powered by a single-stage solid-fuel booster.
- Launch: The Blue Sparrow is launched from a fighter aircraft. Soon after launch, the booster rockets send it along on a high-speed ballistic path before the payload descends toward its intended target.
ALSO READ: 'Do We Need Permission?': Congress Attacks Centre Over US' 30-Day Waver For India To Buy Russian Oil
What Is Black Sparrow?
- Purpose: The Black Sparrow was developed to simulate short-range ballistic missile threats, particularly systems like the Soviet-designed Scud-B. It is a part of Israel's Sparrow family of air-launched target missiles, which are used to test and evaluate the country's missile-defence systems.
- Design: The Black Sparrow is designed to replicate the flight characteristics of a unitary short-range theatre ballistic missile, enabling defence systems to track and intercept targets under realistic conditions.
- Testing And Performance: The missile has been successfully used in multiple flight and interception tests, during which it followed various ballistic trajectories and executed re-entry manoeuvres to mimic real battlefield threats.
What Is Silver Sparrow?
- Role: The Silver Sparrow is the most advanced and the longest-range variant of the Sparrow missile family. It has been developed to simulate long-range ballistic missiles such as Iran's Shahab-3.
- Size: It is larger than both the Blue and Black Sparrow missile variants.
- Test: The Silver Sparrow was first tested in September 2013, when it was launched over the Mediterranean Sea as part of a joint Israeli-US missile defence exercise.