Iran and Israel have been trading strikes since Friday, when Israel first struck Iranian military and nuclear targets.
When tensions escalate in the Middle East, Israel turns once again to its extensive air defense system – which includes the Iron Dome, David’s Sling and the Arrow system, as well as the US military’s THAAD system – to protect its citizens from incoming air attacks at various ranges.
The missile defense system is one of the most important tools in Israel’s arsenal and has saved countless civilian lives over various conflicts in the last decade, analysts say.
Iron Dome
Development on the Iron Dome first began in 2007. After tests in 2008 and 2009, the first Iron Dome batteries were deployed in 2011. The system has been upgraded several times since.
The Iron Dome is designed to shoot down low-level incoming projectiles. It is equipped with a radar that detects rockets and then uses a command-and-control system that quickly calculates whether an incoming projectile poses a threat or is likely to hit an unpopulated area. If the rocket does pose a threat, the Iron Dome fires missiles from the ground to destroy it in the air.
To those on the ground, a direct interception sounds like a loud bang and can sometimes be felt from the ground.
There are 10 Iron Dome batteries across Israel, each of which includes three to four launchers, according to Raytheon and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The system is highly transportable and requires just a few hours to set up, and the missile interceptors themselves are highly maneuverable. They are 3 meters (almost 10 feet), long; have a diameter of about 6 inches (15 centimeters); and weigh 90 kilograms (198 pounds) at launch, the security analysis group IHS Jane’s said in 2012.
The warhead is believed to carry 11 kilograms of high explosives, IHS Jane’s said. Its range is from 4 kilometers to 70 kilometers (2.5 miles to 43 miles).
During times of war, the cost to operate the Iron Dome can rise quickly. Each missile costs around $40,000, so intercepting thousands of incoming rockets adds up.
The US government has spent over $2.9 billion on the Iron Dome program, according to the Congressional Research Service.
David’s Sling and the Arrow systems
David’s Sling, a joint project of Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense System and US defense giant Raytheon, uses Stunner and SkyCeptor kinetic hit-to-kill interceptors to take out targets as far as 186 miles away, according to the Missile Threat project at the Center for International and Strategic Studies (CSIS).
Above David’s Sling are Israel’s Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 systems, jointly developed with the United States.
The Arrow 2 uses fragmentation warheads to destroy incoming ballistic missiles in their terminal phase – as they dive toward their targets – in the upper atmosphere, according to the CSIS. The Arrow 2 has a range of 56 miles and a maximum altitude of 32 miles, according to the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, which called the Arrow 2 an upgrade of the US Patriot missile defenses Israel once used in this role.
Meanwhile, the Arrow 3 uses hit-to-kill technology to intercept incoming ballistic missiles in space, before they reenter the atmosphere on their way to targets.
Israel also has state-of-the-art fighter aircraft, including F-35I stealth jets that it has used to shoot down drones and cruise missiles before, according to news reports.
US THAAD system
Augmenting Israeli missile defense is the US Army’s Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, system, which the administration of former President Joe Biden sent to Israel last October after previous Iranian missile strikes on the country.
“Should Iran choose to (attack) again with … more ballistic missiles … a THAAD adds capability to Israel’s air defenses,” then deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said last October. “It can help shoot those (ballistic missiles) down and protect innocent civilians there; and that includes Americans who are in Israel,” she added.
Like the Arrow 3, the THAAD system employs hit-to-kill technology to engage targets at a range of 150 to 200 kilometers (93 to 124 miles), according to a US Congress report.
A THAAD battery consists of 95 soldiers, six truck-mounted launchers with eight interceptors each, a surveillance and control radar, and fire control and communications unit.
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