Israel has reportedly utilised a sophisticated “missile from space” nicknamed Blue Sparrow to kill Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during a precision strike on the capital on 28 February.
The death of the 86-year-old leader, who had exercised absolute authority over the country’s government, military, and judiciary since 1989, was confirmed on 1 March 2026.
Technological edge of Blue Sparrow
The Israeli military confirmed the mission as a “pre-emptive strike” conducted under the codename Operation Roaring Lion. The operation was reportedly fully coordinated with the United States, where the Pentagon designated the mission as Operation Epic Fury.
Witnesses in the Iranian capital reported hearing large explosions and seeing thick plumes of smoke across the city on the morning of the attack.
The weapon used in the operation, the Blue Sparrow, is an air-launched ballistic missile developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
Measuring 6.51 metres in length – roughly the size of a London bus – and weighing 1,900 kg, the missile is powered by a single-stage solid rocket propellant. Boosters from the missiles were reportedly discovered in Tehran following the strike.
Death from above
The Blue Sparrow is particularly difficult to intercept due to its unique flight path and guidance. Once released from a fighter jet at high altitude, the missile climbs steeply to the edge of the atmosphere.
A front section, known as the re-entry vehicle, then detaches and falls almost vertically toward its target at several times the speed of sound.
While most air defence systems are designed to monitor the horizon for threats arriving at an angle, the Blue Sparrow’s near-vertical descent leaves defenders with almost no time to react.
To maintain accuracy, it employs a dual guidance system, combining GPS with an Inertial Navigation System (INS), which acts as an internal compass to track movement without external signals.
Originally, the Blue Sparrow belonged to a family of target missiles – including the Black and Silver Sparrows – designed as “dummy threats” to test Israel’s Arrow missile defence system. These missiles simulated the flight patterns of Iranian-made weapons such as the Shahab and SCUD series.
However, this technology evolved into ROCKS, a combat-ready weapon that can strike surface or underground targets with extraordinary precision, landing within three metres of its objective even when GPS signals are jammed.
While the Blue Sparrow served as the “sketch” for this technology, ROCKS represents the finalised combat weapon.
