Israel's military has determined that Hizbullah and Syria were deploying missiles and rockets with enhanced accuracy.

A study by the Israel Air Force has concluded that the Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah and Syria have been equipped with missiles and rockets that could strike Israeli critical facilities. The study asserted that the projectiles, acquired or enhanced by Iran and North Korea, were far more accurate than the Hizbullah and Syrian arsenal in 2006.

"In the second Lebanon war [in 2006], Hizbullah missiles and rockets couldn't hit even large fixed sites," a military source familiar with the study said.

"Today, they could easily strike critical facilities."

The Air Force study said Hizbullah has acquired missiles and rockets that could strike military bases, critical facilities and energy infrastructure at a range of 250 kilometers. The study said Hizbullah has been assisted by Iran through the transfer of advanced technology that enhanced the accuracy of unguided Russian- and Chinese-origin rockets.

In 2006, Hizbullah struck military facilities at a range of up to 50 kilometers. But the Iranian-sponsored military failed to strike Israel's chemical plants and refinery in the northern city of Haifa, about 70 kilometers from the Lebanese border.

"This was seen by Iran as a major Hizbullah failure, and an effort was taken to acquire more accurate medium-range rockets as well as train gunners to strike targets with unguided rockets," the source said.

Hizbullah and Syria have also been refining the use of missile and rocket salvos to ensure that unguided weapons could strike a fixed target. The study said Iran was pressing for coordination between Hizbullah and Syria in any future missile war against Israel.

The Air Force has been training its personnel to maintain base operations amid missile salvos. Pilots have been instructed in how to rapidly take off and land even on damaged runways. During the 2006 war, the Air Force was forced to abandon at least one northern base amid Hizbullah rocket strikes.

The sources said the Air Force was also planning to acquire short-range missile and rocket defense systems to protect bases. They said the military has been pressing for the deployment of Iron Dome, designed to intercept missiles and rockets with a range of 70 kilometers.