(AFP) : Israel has launched a new spy satellite into orbit in what Defense Minister Israel Katz described on Wednesday 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,” Defense Minister Israel 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 Tuesday night came two months after a 12-day war between Israel and Iran which saw Israel strike Iranian nuclear and military sites, as well as residential areas, more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) away.
Over 12,000 satellite images of Iranian territory were collected to direct the strikes, according to Daniel Gold, head of the defense 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 Boaz Levy, CEO of state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries, which worked on the project alongside the ministry of defense.
Israel joined the club of space powers in 1988 with the deployment of its first Ofek satellite.
