The Ofek-13 military satellite was launched into orbit at 02:10 am (2310 GMT) from a site in central Israel, the ministry said.

"We will continue to prove that even the sky isn't the limit for the Israeli defence establishment and that we continue to enhance its capabilities in every dimension in the face of various challenges," the ministry said in a statement.

Developed with state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Ofek-13 is due to be transferred to a military intelligence unit, the ministry said.

"The 'Ofek 13' is the most advanced of its kind with unique radar observation capabilities and will enable intelligence collection in any weather and conditions of visibility," IAI chief Boaz Levy said in the same statement.

Israel joined the club of space powers in 1988 with the deployment of its first Ofek (Horizon in Hebrew) satellite.