New Delhi: Israel has lengthy prided itself on having one of the battle-proven missile defence methods on the planet. From the Iron Dome to Arrow-3, these multi-layered methods have guarded its skies for over a decade towards rockets, drones and even ballistic missiles. However the latest wave of Iranian missile assaults has rattled that confidence.
A few of Iran’s projectiles pierced by way of the very community designed to cease them. Buildings had been broken. Lives had been misplaced. And questions are being raised.
Israel isn’t any stranger to incoming hearth. Over time, it has confronted barrages from Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthi fighters in Yemen. Every entrance has pushed the Israeli army to develop missile shields that may intercept threats arriving from numerous instructions, altitudes and speeds.
Let’s take a more in-depth have a look at what Israel’s defence structure appears to be like like, and why even probably the most superior methods couldn’t cease every thing this time.
Iron Dome
The Iron Dome is probably probably the most recognised a part of Israel’s protection. Constructed to intercept short-range rockets and mortar shells, the system is designed for threats launched from as shut as 4 km to so far as 70 km.
Every Iron Dome battery consists of 3-4 launchers. Each launcher holds as much as 20 interceptor missiles. The system is wise. It tracks incoming rockets, determines whether or not they’re headed towards populated areas and solely intercepts people who pose an actual hazard. Others are allowed to fall in open areas.
The Iron Dome has a excessive success price, with the Israeli Protection Forces (IDF) claiming it neutralises as much as 90% of incoming threats it targets. However every “Tamir” interceptor missile prices practically $50,000, making sustained use costly.
Initially developed after the 2006 Lebanon Battle, the Iron Dome noticed its first fight use in 2011. Since then, it has intercepted hundreds of rockets, particularly throughout latest conflicts with Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza.
David’s Sling
Recognized in Hebrew as “Magic Wand”, David’s Sling fills the hole between the Iron Dome and higher-altitude methods. It could actually strike threats at distances as much as 300 km, together with cruise missiles, plane and enormous drones.
Collectively developed by Israel’s Rafael Superior Protection Techniques and U.S.-based Raytheon, this method has been operational since 2017.
Like Iron Dome, David’s Sling solely targets projectiles that endanger civilian zones. Every “Stunner” interceptor prices round $1 million – a steep worth for precision.
Arrow 2 and Arrow 3
The Arrow 2 system was developed within the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf Battle, when Iraq fired Soviet-made Scud missiles at Israel. It’s meant to neutralise ballistic missiles at altitudes as much as 50 km within the higher ambiance and may monitor threats from so far as 500 km away. The system entered service in 2000 and may have interaction as much as 14 targets directly.
Launched in 2017, Arrow 3 goes even additional actually. It could actually intercept long-range ballistic missiles exterior Earth’s ambiance with a spread of as much as 2,400 km.
Arrow methods are the crown jewels of Israel’s upper-tier defence. In 2023, Arrow 3 was used to intercept a missile launched by Houthi rebels towards a coastal metropolis in southern Israel.
Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 are produced by Israel Aerospace Industries with technical help from Boeing.
THAAD
After Iran’s huge strike in October 2024, the US deployed one in all its Terminal Excessive Altitude Space Protection (THAAD) batteries to Israel.
THAAD is designed to intercept incoming missiles within the remaining part of their flight, simply earlier than influence, inside a spread of 150-200 km. It could actually neutralise threats each contained in the ambiance and past.
Every THAAD battery comes with six launchers and eight missiles per launcher. Not like Israeli methods, that are run by IDF personnel, this one is operated by U.S. troops stationed in Israel.
The U.S. army has used THAAD since 2015 and has bought it to allies like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
So What Went Fallacious?
No missile protection is ideal. Whereas Israel’s layered protect is among the many most superior, Iran’s newest barrage was totally different. It was designed to overwhelm, confuse and stretch the system’s limits. Some missiles had been intercepted. Some weren’t.
Missile defence, at its core, is a race – know-how versus ways. And generally, just a few get by way of.
What is obvious, although, is that Israel’s methods held off the majority of the assault. However the gaps that did seem will now push Israeli engineers and army planners again to the drafting board.
As a result of on this a part of the world, the skies are by no means silent for lengthy.