Israel's Ofek 10. Photo: Israel MOD.

JNS.org – Israel successfully launched a new spy satellite into orbit on Wednesday, the Israeli Defense Ministry announced.

The “Ofek 10” satellite, launched in cooperation with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), is expected to be used to keep tabs on Iran and terrorist groups in the Middle East.

According to the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, the Ofek 10 is a radar-based observation satellite that has advanced photography capabilities during daylight, at night and in any weather condition.

“The Ofek 10 satellite should improve Israel’s intelligence capability and allow the defense establishment to better deal with threats near and far,” Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said in a statement.

“We are continuing to strengthen our tremendous qualitative and technological advantage over our neighbors,” Ya’alon added.