Arrow, David's Sling, Iron Dome: How Israel countered Iran's missiles
Iran launched a massive barrage of attack drones and missiles on Israel on Saturday night, marking the country's first-ever direct assault on the Jewish nation. Over 200 missiles and drones were fired at Israel, the vast majority of which were intercepted by the Israel Defense Forces and its allies. The interception was made possible by Israel's formidable air-defense system, which has already been combating incoming rockets, drones, and missile attacks since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October, 2023.
Israel's Arrow air defense system
According to IDF spokesman, most of the missiles were intercepted by the long-range Arrow air defense system. But what is Arrow? Here's a closer look at the air-defense system: This system, built in collaboration with the United States, is intended to intercept long-range missiles, such as the ballistic missiles Iran claims to have launched on Saturday. Arrow, which functions outside the atmosphere, has been deployed in the current conflict to intercept long-range missiles fired by Houthi rebels in Yemen.
David's Sling and Patriot
The David's Sling, which was also developed in collaboration with the US, is designed to intercept medium-range missiles like those used by Hezbollah in Lebanon. Produced by Rafael, it is capable of intercepting rockets and missiles with a range of 40-300 kilometers. Meanwhile, the Patriot missile defense system is the oldest of Israel's missile defense systems, having been utilized during the First Gulf War in 1991. This American-made system is now being used to shoot down aircraft, including drones.
Irom Dome
This system, developed by Israel with US support, is designed to fire down short-range rockets. It has intercepted thousands of rockets since its inception early last decade, including many during the ongoing conflict with Hamas and Hezbollah. Israel claims it has a success rate of more than 90%. According to the IDF, the four defense systems — David's Sling, Iron Dome, Patriot, and Arrow — intercepted around 2,000 incoming rockets between October 7 and November 9.
