middle east What followed was a move closer to a broader regional conflict. iranA good start ballistic missiles But israel On Tuesday, about 10 million people were sent to bomb shelters as projectiles and interceptors exploded in the sky above.
Israel said it has launched a restrictive ground operation in Lebanon, focusing on Iran-backed Hezbollah Militia.
According to Israeli sources, several missiles were intercepted, and American officials said that the American destroyers contributed to Israel’s defense. Iran claimed that most of its missiles reached their intended targets. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The attack came five months after the April attack, which was the first direct Iranian attack on Israel. Ballistic missiles are a key part of Tehran’s arsenal.
To better understand the situation, it is important to examine Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal and the defensive capabilities of Israeli forces:
How dangerous is Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal?
Iran has a significantly larger arsenal of artillery and multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) than Israel. However, these weapon systems would need to be deployed near Israel’s borders to be effective, as conventional artillery and MLRS with a range of 70–80 km cannot reach Israel from their current positions.
It is also known that Iran has a large number of short, medium and long-range ballistic missiles capable of attacking Israel. According to a 2021 report by the Missile Threat Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Tehran has thousands of ballistic and cruise missiles with varying ranges.
Ballistic missiles follow a trajectory that takes them outside or near the limits of the Earth’s atmosphere before separating from the rocket and landing on their target. Analysis of Iran’s extensive ballistic missile arsenal considering guidance systems and range reveals a significant threat to Israel, as Iran is believed to have at least five different long-range ballistic missiles that can Can reach Israel from Iranian territory.
Iran’s ballistic missile system mainly consists of short-range and medium-range missiles such as Fateh, Sajjil, Shahab, Qiyam and Khorramshar. The short-range Shahab-2, with a strike range of up to 500 kilometers, has been part of Iran’s arsenal since 1998, while the Fateh-313, another short-range missile with a similar range, was introduced into Iran’s defense system in 2015. ,
Medium-range missiles capable of ranges of 1,000 to 2,000 kilometers were introduced into Iran’s defense program in 2003 with the Shahab-3. These missiles use liquid propellant, carry warheads weighing 760 to 1,200 kg and can be launched from mobile launchers and silos. The latest version of the Shahab-3, the Ghadar and Imad missiles, have accuracy within 300 meters (about 1,000 feet) of their intended targets, according to Iran Watch.
Iranian media reported that Tehran used a new missile, the Fateh-1, in the attacks on Israel on Tuesday. This ‘hypersonic’ missile travels at Mach 5 or five times the speed of sound (6,100 km per hour).
Israel’s Defense Mechanism: Beyond the Iron Dome
Israel’s nuclear capabilities have been the subject of speculation for decades, as the nation maintains a policy of ambiguity regarding its nuclear arsenal. Although the country has not officially confirmed or denied possessing nuclear weapons, it is widely believed that Israel possesses a substantial nuclear stockpile.
According to estimates by the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, Israel’s nuclear arsenal consists of about 90 plutonium-based nuclear warheads. Furthermore, the country is believed to have produced enough plutonium to potentially build 100 to 200 nuclear weapons.
Israel has multi-layeredness missile defense A system designed to intercept a wide variety of threats, from high-altitude ballistic missiles to low-flying cruise missiles and rockets.
Iron Dome, which has attracted significant attention for its effectiveness, is the lowest level of Israel’s missile defense and is primarily used to counter incoming rocket and artillery weapons. However, according to CNN reporting, Iron Dome was not the system planned to counter the ballistic missiles launched Tuesday night.
The next level of defense is David’s Sling, a collaborative effort between Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and US defense giant Raytheon. The system protects against short- and medium-range threats by using Stunner and Skyceptor kinetic hit-to-kill interceptors to neutralize targets up to 186 miles away, reports the Missile Threat Project at CSIS.
On top of David Sling, Israel has the Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 systems, both developed in partnership with the United States. The Arrow 2 uses a fragmentation warhead to destroy incoming ballistic missiles in their terminal stage as they descend toward their target in the upper atmosphere.
According to the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, the Arrow 2 has a range of 56 miles and a maximum altitude of 32 miles, representing an upgrade from the US Patriot missile defense Israel previously used in this role.
Arrow 3, on the other hand, uses hit-to-kill technology to intercept space-bound ballistic missiles on their way to the target before they re-enter the atmosphere.
