How a single naval disaster sparked a revolution in missile guidance

Wars & Conflicts · Published 16 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In 1967, the sinking of the INS Eilat by Styx missiles changed Israeli naval doctrine forever. This catastrophe forced a shift from manual joystick control to autonomous, sea-skimming technology, leading to the development of the Gabriel—a missile designed to fly just meters above the waves.

The impetus for the Gabriel program was the October 21, 1967, sinking of the Israeli destroyer INS Eilat. The attack by four Soviet-made Styx missiles killed 47 sailors and left 100 injured. This loss prompted the Israeli Navy to accelerate anti-ship missile research, building upon the earlier Luz program started in 1958.

To overcome the limitations of manual guidance, engineer Ori Even-Tov proposed an autonomous system. By integrating an altimeter, the missile could fly just meters above the sea surface. This 'sea-skimming' profile makes the missile significantly harder to detect and allows it to strike targets just above the waterline.

The Gabriel's effectiveness was proven during the Yom Kippur War in 1973. In encounters near Latakia and the Sinai, Israeli boats using Gabriel Mk 1 missiles defeated Syrian and Egyptian vessels. While the Syrian P-15 Termit missiles had a longer range, the Gabriel's reliability and flexibility proved decisive. During one engagement, Israeli helicopters used low-altitude maneuvers to simulate naval targets, successfully drawing fire while remaining untouched by the Syrian salvos.

Modern iterations, such as the Gabriel V and the Blue Spear—a joint venture between IAI and Singapore's ST Engineering—have expanded these capabilities. The Blue Spear features terrain-following capabilities for land attacks and a range that can reach up to 400 km depending on the flight profile. It is designed to operate in cluttered littoral environments using advanced multi-spectral seekers.

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