Did Israel Use ROCKS or the Secretive Golden Horizon Long-range Ballistic Missile to Strike Iran?

Israeli jets appear to have fired ROCKS or Golden Horizon long-range ballistic missiles in Operation Epic Fury with the U.S. against Iranian targets, marking what could be the first combat use of either missile, if confirmed.

A report by BFBS Forces News said, “Israeli aircraft are thought to have launched long-range ballistic missiles – like ROCKS or Golden Horizon – from outside Iranian territory.” Israel has not confirmed the claim.

Travelling at hypersonic speeds, the missiles would have given Iran limited warning time.

ROCKS

ROCKS is a long-range air-launched ballistic missile developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems for precision strikes against high-value surface and deeply buried targets. The missile has a stated standoff range of up to 250 km with a 500 kg warhead configuration and a reported circular error probable (CEP) of approximately 3 meters. It supports multiple warhead options, including 500 kg, 250 kg, and 125 kg blast-fragmentation or penetration types, with the 500 kg variant capable of penetrating up to 3 meters.

ROCKS uses an INS/GPS navigation system for midcourse guidance and electro-optical scene-matching or optional anti-radiation homing for terminal guidance, enabling operation in GPS-denied environments. It supports selectable impact angles and trajectories, including steep terminal attack profiles. The missile is designed for autonomous operation after launch and can be deployed from aircraft, with adaptable configurations for ground or naval launch.

Golden Horizon

Golden Horizon is described in open-source reports as a long-range air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM), but its developer has not been officially confirmed and there is no formal manufacturer disclosure. It is referred to as a strategic deep-strike weapon, with no publicly confirmed specifications on range, propulsion, guidance, or warhead. The missile was reportedly offered to India in February 2026 during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel for integration with the Sukhoi Su-30MKI fleet.

It is described as designed to penetrate hardened and underground targets. Media estimates place its range at 1,000–2,000 km, with some reports citing 1,500–2,000 km, while certain open-source sites claim about 800 km when air-launched. Speeds above Mach 5 have been suggested. Leaked U.S. intelligence documents in October 2024 indicated Israel was working on Golden Horizon and ROCKS. The missile is reported to be derived from Israel’s Sparrow series. Israel’s Blue Sparrow has a range of about 2,000 km and was developed to simulate Iraqi Scud and Iranian Shahab missiles for testing the Arrow interceptor. The original Silver Sparrow is about 8.3 meters long and weighs 3,100 kilograms pre-launch.

Unit price

There are no publicly confirmed unit prices for the Israeli ROCKS or “Golden Horizon” long-range ballistic missiles because neither system is officially fielded or openly priced by manufacturers or governments. However, advanced ballistic or hypersonic strike missiles from major programs generally range from tens of millions to over $10–15 million per unit. For example, the U.S. AGM-183 ARRW has been estimated at around $14.9 million per missile in one study.

In the ongoing war, the U.S. and its allies are using $4 million missiles to destroy Iranian drones worth approximately $20,000 each. Although the U.A.E. says its Patriot system has interception rates above 90%, using expensive missiles to destroy low-cost drones raises cost-exchange concerns. The issue has also been observed in the war in Ukraine, where comparatively inexpensive drones and munitions have compelled the use of higher-cost air defense interceptors.