Iran’s attack on Israel, carried out with hundreds of unmanned aerial vehicles, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles, was a unique event in the history of the Middle East for two reasons. First, it was remarkable due to its attack strategy and the audacity of an enemy state located thousands of kilometers away from Israel. Second, it had unique national significance, as it led to the mobilization of an international coalition led by the United States, Great Britain, and France, with active participation of the Sunni Arab countries in intercepting the means of attack from Iran. It is worth noting the perfect coordination between the IDF and the Central Command of the US Army (CENTCOM) regarding this matter.
The Iranian enemy and its proxies possess a multitude of sophisticated weapons. These include thousands of ballistic missiles belonging to dedicated missile brigades, some of which have a range of 1,500–3,000 km; thousands of long-range UAVs, and cruise missiles. These weapons form a “ring of fire” around the State of Israel as envisioned by Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards who was killed by the Americans in 2020.
The Iranian long-range missiles can carry significant amounts of explosives and pose a great risk. These missiles, such as the Shahab-3 (with a range of 2,000 km), the Kheibar (1,400 km), the Fatah-2 (1,400 km), the Khorramshahr (2,000 km), the Sejil (2,500 km) and others, can cover the entire area of the State of Israel and carry an average amount of 750 kg of explosives or more.
During Iran’s attack on Israel, a total of 185 unmanned aerial vehicles, 110 ballistic missiles, and 36 cruise missiles were fired at Israel, although half the launches had technical failures—internal failure or perhaps initiated. The phenomenal success of the air defense system protecting Israel is reflected in the 99% interception rate. Consequently, none of the unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles breached the country’s borders, and most of the ballistic missiles were intercepted long before reaching Israel. Israel possesses the world’s most effective defense system against rockets and ballistic missiles, consisting of four layers of defense against various short-term and long-term threats. The Arrow 3 missile serves as the fourth layer and is an exo-atmospheric missile with a maneuvering warhead. This system is designed to intercept long-range ballistic missiles far from Israel’s borders, outside of the atmosphere through direct engagement with the target. The success of this multi-layered defense system, synchronized with sophisticated command and control detection systems, neutralized the damage of the attack which primarily targeted the Nevatim Airbase.
However, it’s important to remember that the Iranians have an arsenal of sophisticated ballistic missiles with varying ranges, capable of carrying considerable amounts of explosives, as well as thousands of UAVs and cruise missiles. Therefore, the Iranian threat persists. It’s also crucial to acknowledge that no defense system is absolutely hermetic, and there’s always the possibility of an aircraft or a ballistic missile slipping through the layers of defense. Therefore, both the security system and the public need to remain vigilant to minimize damage and prevent loss of life.
Iran’s attack on Israel, carried out with hundreds of unmanned aerial vehicles, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles, was a unique event in the history of the Middle East for two reasons. First, it was remarkable due to its attack strategy and the audacity of an enemy state located thousands of kilometers away from Israel. Second, it had unique national significance, as it led to the mobilization of an international coalition led by the United States, Great Britain, and France, with active participation of the Sunni Arab countries in intercepting the means of attack from Iran. It is worth noting the perfect coordination between the IDF and the Central Command of the US Army (CENTCOM) regarding this matter.
The Iranian enemy and its proxies possess a multitude of sophisticated weapons. These include thousands of ballistic missiles belonging to dedicated missile brigades, some of which have a range of 1,500–3,000 km; thousands of long-range UAVs, and cruise missiles. These weapons form a “ring of fire” around the State of Israel as envisioned by Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards who was killed by the Americans in 2020.
The Iranian long-range missiles can carry significant amounts of explosives and pose a great risk. These missiles, such as the Shahab-3 (with a range of 2,000 km), the Kheibar (1,400 km), the Fatah-2 (1,400 km), the Khorramshahr (2,000 km), the Sejil (2,500 km) and others, can cover the entire area of the State of Israel and carry an average amount of 750 kg of explosives or more.
During Iran’s attack on Israel, a total of 185 unmanned aerial vehicles, 110 ballistic missiles, and 36 cruise missiles were fired at Israel, although half the launches had technical failures—internal failure or perhaps initiated. The phenomenal success of the air defense system protecting Israel is reflected in the 99% interception rate. Consequently, none of the unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles breached the country’s borders, and most of the ballistic missiles were intercepted long before reaching Israel. Israel possesses the world’s most effective defense system against rockets and ballistic missiles, consisting of four layers of defense against various short-term and long-term threats. The Arrow 3 missile serves as the fourth layer and is an exo-atmospheric missile with a maneuvering warhead. This system is designed to intercept long-range ballistic missiles far from Israel’s borders, outside of the atmosphere through direct engagement with the target. The success of this multi-layered defense system, synchronized with sophisticated command and control detection systems, neutralized the damage of the attack which primarily targeted the Nevatim Airbase.
However, it’s important to remember that the Iranians have an arsenal of sophisticated ballistic missiles with varying ranges, capable of carrying considerable amounts of explosives, as well as thousands of UAVs and cruise missiles. Therefore, the Iranian threat persists. It’s also crucial to acknowledge that no defense system is absolutely hermetic, and there’s always the possibility of an aircraft or a ballistic missile slipping through the layers of defense. Therefore, both the security system and the public need to remain vigilant to minimize damage and prevent loss of life.