Artillery

Burkan heavy rocket

Also known as
  • Burkan
  • Burkan rocket
  • Burkan missile
  • Borkan rocket

The Burkan heavy rocket is Hezbollah's heavy short-range explosive rocket for attacks near the Lebanon-Israel border. Sources describe a simple truck or ground-launched weapon, developed with Iranian assistance and adapted from Syrian-war siege rockets, with a variable explosive payload that can reach several hundred kilograms.

Burkan heavy rocket, Heavy short-range rocket, Artillery
Image source: Ynet $400 a rocket: Burkan is Hezbollah's new weapon against Israel

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Lebanon
Built by
Hezbollah
Type
Heavy short-range rocket
Service note
Used in the Syrian civil war and the 2023-2024 Israel-Hezbollah fighting
Designer
Hezbollah with Iranian assistance
Designed
In Syrian Civil War use before 2023; Hezbollah northern-border use publicly documented in November 2023
Unit cost
US$300-$400 per rocket
Produced
Unknown
Number built
Unknown

Specifications

Range
Up to 10 km
Warhead
Reported explosive payloads vary by source and loading, from about 60-100 kg up to 500 kg
Launch method
Small trucks, ground launchers, ground bases, and reported double-barreled launcher arrangements
Configuration
Heavy explosive charge mounted on a rocket motor
Interception
Short range and low-altitude flight create kinetic-interception difficulty; INSS names Iron Dome as an example
Design And Launch Notes

The Burkan name in this record refers to Hezbollah's heavy short-range rocket, not the separate Houthi Burkan ballistic-missile family. The sources describe a simple explosive rocket for close border attacks, with the heavy payload trading range and precision for blast effect.

Launch setup

Alma and Ynet describe launches from small trucks, ground launchers, or ground bases; Atlantic Council describes paired Burkan fire from a double-barreled launcher.

Payload range

Open sources report variable explosive loads, with upper-end estimates around 500 kg.

Defense problem

INSS says the rocket's short range complicates kinetic interception and frames launch-truck destruction or future laser interception as responses.

Sources: INSS Hezbollah's Burkan Rocket: A New Threat?; Hezbollah's Burkan Rocket - From the Battlefields of Syria to Southern Lebanon; Ynet $400 a rocket: Burkan is Hezbollah's new weapon against Israel; Atlantic Council Lebanon-Israel Border Escalation

Launch Platforms

Open sources describe Burkan rockets as fired from small trucks, ground launchers, ground bases, or paired launcher arrangements rather than a standardized named military vehicle.

LauncherLauncher typeLaunch evidence
Burkan ground launcher, Field-expedient rocket launcher, ArtilleryBurkan ground launcherField-expedient rocket launcher

Alma and Ynet describe Burkan launches from small trucks, ground launchers, or ground bases, while Atlantic Council describes paired Burkan fire from a double-barreled launcher.

Sources: Hezbollah's Burkan Rocket - From the Battlefields of Syria to Southern Lebanon, Ynet $400 a rocket: Burkan is Hezbollah's new weapon against Israel, Atlantic Council Lebanon-Israel Border Escalation

Timeline

Burkan heavy rocket Key Events

  1. Burkan rockets appear on the northern border

    Alma and Atlantic Council report that Hezbollah first used Burkan rockets against an Israeli northern-border military position in early November 2023.

    Sources: Hezbollah's Burkan Rocket - From the Battlefields of Syria to Southern Lebanon, Atlantic Council Lebanon-Israel Border Escalation

  2. Biranit base struck with Burkan rockets

    Hezbollah claimed Burkan rocket attacks on Biranit, the IDF 91st Division headquarters; INSS, Alma, and Atlantic Council describe significant damage at the impact site.

    Sources: INSS Hezbollah's Burkan Rocket: A New Threat?, Hezbollah's Burkan Rocket - From the Battlefields of Syria to Southern Lebanon, Atlantic Council Lebanon-Israel Border Escalation

  3. Hezbollah claims another Burkan strike on Biranit

    FDD reported that Hezbollah claimed a Burkan missile attack on the IDF 91st Division headquarters in Biranit during the April 2024 border escalation.

    Sources: FDD Hezbollah claims to target IDF base with Burkan missile

  4. Burkan rockets hit Kiryat Shmona base

    AP reported Hezbollah's claim that Burkan rockets struck an Israeli army base in Kiryat Shmona; the Israeli army confirmed a rocket hit a military base, and Israeli media reported significant infrastructure damage with no casualties.

    Sources: Hezbollah fighters shoot down an Israeli drone in Lebanon and fire rockets at an Israeli base

Media

Burkan heavy rocket Videos

Related Weapon Systems
Burkan-2H ballistic missile, Short-range ballistic missile, MunitionsMunitionsBurkan-2H ballistic missileShort-range ballistic missileThe Burkan-2H is the Houthi designation for a Qiam-1-derived short-range ballistic missile used for cross-border strikes from Yemen into Saudi Arabia during the 2014 Yemen Civil War. UN, CSIS, IISS, and rights-reporting sources connect the missile to attacks on Yanbu, King Khalid International Airport, Yamama Palace, and Riyadh-area targets, making it one of the clearest examples of Iranian missile technology appearing in the Houthi arsenal.

Sources

INSS Hezbollah's Burkan Rocket: A New Threat?Publisher: Institute for National Security Studies | Note: Supports Burkan heavy rocket background, Hezbollah development with Iranian assistance, first use in Syria, short range, warhead size, launch-truck context, interception limits, and 2023 Israel-Hezbollah Conflict direct use at an IDF northern-border outpost. | Accessed: 2026-07-04FDD Hezbollah claims to target IDF base with Burkan missilePublisher: Foundation for Defense of Democracies | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hezbollah Conflict direct use by Hezbollah, including a Burkan claim against the IDF's 91st Division headquarters in Biranit. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Hezbollah fighters shoot down an Israeli drone in Lebanon and fire rockets at an Israeli basePublisher: AP News | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hezbollah Conflict direct use by Hezbollah and the reported June 1, 2024 Burkan strike on Kiryat Shmona base; also reports the warhead weight range. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Ynet $400 a rocket: Burkan is Hezbollah's new weapon against IsraelPublisher: Ynetnews | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hezbollah Conflict direct use by Hezbollah, the reported $300-$400 price per rocket, and the source image set showing the Burkan rocket and launcher imagery. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Hezbollah's Burkan Rocket - From the Battlefields of Syria to Southern LebanonPublisher: Alma Research and Education Center | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hezbollah Conflict direct use by Hezbollah, launch-platform wording, the small-truck or ground-launcher description, warhead and range estimates, and launcher imagery used for relationship context. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Atlantic Council Lebanon-Israel Border EscalationPublisher: Atlantic Council | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hezbollah Conflict direct use by Hezbollah, the early November 2023 Burkan introduction, the November 20 Biranit attack, and the double-barreled launcher description. | Accessed: 2026-07-04