On Saturday, April 13th, will go down in history for the resolute defense erected by Israel and its allies against a massive attack of drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles launched in coordination by Iran. Despite the multi-layered coverage of Israeli territory, some of the systems that stood out were the Arrow family, David’s Sling batteries, Patriot, and Iron Dome.
The Iranian attack included over 320 projectiles of various types, all of which were intercepted by fighter jets, ships, and ground-based anti-aircraft defense systems. According to the Israel Defense Forces, 99% of the targets were destroyed, with most of them outside Israeli territory. Between 6 to 10 ballistic missiles managed to penetrate the complex defensive setup, impacting the Nevatim airbase. The damages were reportedly minimal, according to Israeli official reports.
Among the ground-based anti-aircraft defense systems, the following stood out:
Arrow
The Arrow interceptor missiles are part of the Arrow Weapon System (AWS), which is the first Israeli-origin operational and autonomous defense system against tactical ballistic missiles.
Based on the Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 interceptors, and complemented by means such as the ELM-2080 Green Pine radar, the Arrow system detects, tracks, intercepts, and destroys ballistic missiles. The Arrow 2 interceptor is designed to intercept and destroy incoming ballistic missiles, operating both in the atmosphere and in space (endo and exoatmospheric capabilities).
On the other hand, the hypersonic anti-ballistic interceptor Arrow 3 has been jointly developed and produced by the Israeli Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) of the Israeli Ministry of Defense and the United States Missile Defense Agency (MDA), led by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). It is one of the world’s most advanced air defense and missile defense systems for intercepting ballistic missiles outside the Earth’s atmosphere.
David’s Sling
David’s Sling was part of a joint venture between Israel and the US to develop an anti-aircraft defense system capable of intercepting tactical ballistic missiles, medium and long-range rockets, as well as cruise missiles with ranges between 40 and 300 kilometers.
The system, developed jointly by Raytheon Technologies and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Israel, comprises the Stunner interceptor, as well as an active electronically scanned array (AESA) multi-mission radar to detect, track, and guide missiles.
According to Raytheon’s specifications, the uniqueness of the Stunner interceptor missile, besides its maneuverability and two stages, is that it does not have an explosive warhead; the interceptor destroys threats with the force of impact. “…The Stunner missile has been demonstrated to destroy all short-range ballistic missiles, that is, 92% of the world’s theater ballistic missile inventory…” states the manufacturer.
The system was declared operational by the Israeli Air Force in 2017, having debuted in mid-2018.
Patriot
For a long time, the MIM-104 Patriot has been one of the main anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense systems of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Initially conceived as a long-range anti-aircraft system, the Patriot evolved in its capabilities to address ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, loitering munitions, and all types of aircraft.
A Patriot battery consists of a radar set, which depending on the variant can be the AN/MPQ-53, AN/MPQ-65, or AN/MPQ-65A, an AN/MSQ-4 control station, 6 to 8 quadruple trailer-mounted launchers, which can house four PAC-3 CRI missiles, three PAC-3 MSE missiles, or one PAC-2 GEM-T missile. The battery is complemented by support vehicles and transport vehicles for generators.
The IDF is replacing its veteran Patriots with the more modern and capable David’s Sling.
Iron Dome
The Iron Dome System was developed by the Government of Israel through the state-owned company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems based in Haifa. Its mission is to intercept and destroy rockets and projectiles launched from a distance of up to 70 kilometers. It is one of the most popular defense means due to the continuous attacks from Hamas and Hezbollah.
Thanks to its modular and flexible design, Iron Dome batteries have the ability to relocate regularly. The system consists of a radar, a control center, and four launcher units housing 20 Tamir interceptors each.
According to technical specifications, it is highlighted that an Iron Dome battery can defend an area of 150 square kilometers against missile and rocket attacks. When the radar incorporated into Iron Dome detects a projectile heading towards Israeli territory, it transmits the information to the BMC (Battle Management Center) within seconds, activating the launch of an interceptor immediately if the incoming projectile is considered a threat.
The Tamir interceptor stands out for its high maneuverability. It is 3 meters long, weighs 90 kilograms, and has a diameter of 160 mm. Tamir missiles have high-performance electro-optical sensors, while their warheads have proximity fuzes, a configuration that allows them to generate a larger kill zone.
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