How Israel’s satellite network became a wartime weapon against Iran
The overnight attack window of February 27 to 28, 2026, became a defining moment for Israel’s military space program as the IDF, Defense Ministry and intelligence community used satellites to support strikes on Iran. The operation, called “Roaring Lion,” targeted Iran’s leadership and military infrastructure, with the satellite unit in Military Intelligence’s Unit 9900, led by Brig. Gen. Sh’, under intense pressure to provide the sharpest possible intelligence picture in real time.
In a rare interview with Walla, Avi Berger, head of the Defense Ministry’s Space Directorate, said the campaign marked a major leap for Israeli space capabilities and helped win this week’s Israel Defense Prize. He said the award recognized the launch of Ofek 13 and Ofek 19, two SAR radar satellites launched in March 2022 and shortly afterward, which can produce images day and night and through clouds. Unlike electro-optical satellites, SAR systems actively generate synthetic images by sending electromagnetic signals to the ground and analyzing the return.
Berger said the satellites can detect ground changes of tens of centimeters and help identify vehicle movement, launcher relocation and other activity. That allowed Unit 9900 to shift imaging tasks almost immediately when new intelligence arrived, tightening the loop from collection to analysis to attack. He said the military effort had to track a vast country, including sensitive sites in Tehran, Parchin, Shahroud and Karaj, and noted that on February 28 the output from space became a major Israeli force multiplier.
According to Berger, “Roaring Lion” was the first time these capabilities were used at such speed and scale, after decades of development by the Defense Ministry, defense industries and Unit 9900. He said the mission produced more than 50,000 images, answered over 100,000 imaging requests and covered hundreds of thousands of square kilometers. He also said Defense Minister Israel Katz views space as Israel’s strategic depth and is pressing for many more satellites, ultimately tens or even hundreds, to create continuous coverage and strengthen Israeli freedom of action against Iran and other adversaries.
