A attack by Iranian drones and ballistic missiles Saturday posed the latest challenge to Israel’s air defense system, which has already worked overtime to deal with rocket, drone and missile attacks throughout the six-month war against Hamas.
More than 200 missiles and drones were fired from Iran into Israel, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari reported, saying the vast majority were intercepted. Hagari, however, indicated that an unknown number of missiles had fallen on Israeli territory. He said at least one child was injured in the attack.
JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images
Here’s a closer look at Israel’s multi-layered air defense system:
The Arrow: This system developed with the United States is designed to intercept long-range missiles, including the types of ballistic missiles that Iran announced it had launched on Saturday. The Arrow, which operates outside the atmosphere, has been used in the current war to intercept long-range missiles launched by Houthi militants in Yemen.
David’s Sling: Also developed with the United States, David’s Sling is intended to intercept medium-range missiles, such as those possessed by Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Patriot: This American-made system is the oldest member of Israel’s missile defense system – used during the first Gulf War in 1991 to intercept Scud missiles fired by then-Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. The Patriot is now used to shoot down aircraft, including drones.
Iron Dome: This system, developed by Israel with support from the United States, specializes in shooting down short-range rockets. It has intercepted thousands of rockets since its activation early last decade – including thousands of interceptions during the current war against Hamas and Hezbollah. Israel claims to have a success rate of over 90%.
Iron Beam: Israel is developing a new system to intercept incoming threats using laser technology. Israel said the system would be a game-changer because it is much cheaper to operate than existing systems. However, it is not yet operational.
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