Critical Capability Against Iran: Ofeq 13 and Ofeq 19 Satellites Win Israel Defense Prize

The Ofeq 13 and Ofeq 19 satellite project received the Israel Defense Prize at a ceremony held at the President’s Residence.

The Ofeq 13 and Ofeq 19 satellites won the 2026 Israel Defense Prize. These satellites enable real-time threat detection and provide high-quality intelligence at all times. The system makes it possible to identify missiles launched toward Israeli territory.

The satellites allow intelligence to be built over time, a capability that becomes a key element in an arena such as Iran. President Isaac Herzog, Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir presented the 2026 Israel Defense Prize yesterday, Wednesday, at a ceremony held at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.

The prize was awarded to five outstanding projects that made a significant contribution to national security, בראשם the operationalization and implementation of the Ofeq 13 and Ofeq 19 satellite program, which enables the security establishment to receive high-quality, reliable intelligence at any given time and represents a breakthrough in performance, capacity and weight.

The satellite system operates to provide intelligence for offensive and defensive needs, including target building and real-time threat detection, among them identifying missiles launched toward Israeli territory. The satellites have significant collection capability, as they make it possible to build a situation picture over time, identify processes and connect dots occurring in different places. When it comes to an arena such as Iran, which is far away and complex, this capability becomes a central component.

The prize was awarded to the Missile and Space Systems Division and the Elta Division of Israel Aerospace Industries, to the Space Directorate, to the R&D unit in the Defense Ministry’s MAFAT, and to Unit 9900 in the IDF Intelligence Directorate.

The advantage of activity from space is the ability to provide continuous observation of distant areas without depending on a presence on the ground. The satellites’ sensors enable information to be collected at high resolution and in a variety of conditions, and at times make it possible to see things that are difficult to identify by other means.

Israel’s intelligence satellite network was established in 1995, after a first attempt in 1991 failed. The system is characterized by relatively small satellites with high performance, and a weight, quality and cost ratio among the best in the world. In Military Intelligence, Aman is responsible for defining the operational requirements and operating the systems for intelligence-gathering purposes.

In addition to the satellite network, the prize was also awarded to a unique weapons system that played a central role in the campaign against Iran, a classified operational system of the Mossad, a technological development by Unit 81 in the Intelligence Directorate, and the development of electronic warfare systems to maintain the Air Force’s air superiority.

Also attending the ceremony were Mossad chief Roman Gofman and Shin Bet chief David Zini.