A report in “The Wall Road Journal” has claimed Israel’s stockpile of Arrow interception missiles is dwindling. The Arrow performs a key function in repelling ballistic missile assaults from Iran and Yemen. Within the report, a senior US official mentioned that Israel is operating low on protection Arrow interceptors. It has additionally been reported that US officers and analysts estimate that Israel and the US have fewer interceptor missiles mixed than Iran’s stockpile of ballistic missiles.
Israel’s navy can name on a spread of different interceptor programs. However with the specter of ballistic missiles with warheads weighing a whole lot of kilograms, ploughing via the environment from a distance of 1,500 kilometers, nearly the one missile that may deal with a 90% success fee is the Arrow 3 missile. The Arrow 2 missiles, whereas useful in coping with the latest missile barrages, in addition to the barrages fired from Iran final 12 months, had been discontinued in favor of elevated manufacturing of the improved Arrow 3, so their stockpile is restricted. The opposite programs, similar to David’s Sling and Iron Dome, are irrelevant to the present risk as they’re used for medium and short-range threats – the missiles launched in opposition to Israel earlier within the conflict from Lebanon and Gaza.
US naval destroyers
In keeping with a report in “The Wall Road Journal,” the US helps repel a few of the ballistic missiles utilizing two THAAD batteries – the US interception system capable of intercept ballistic missiles within the environment just like the Arrow 2, however in accordance with US Protection Division paperwork, solely 605 interceptor missiles have been ordered up to now for the THAAD system.
As well as, there are US naval destroyers being deployed to the area to intercept missiles utilizing surface-to-air (SAM) missiles, with a stress on the SAM-3, which has a spread of 1000’s of kilometers. F-16 and F-15E plane may intercept UAVs and missiles.
Nevertheless, the value of the SAM missiles can also be excessive. An SAM-3 that may cope with a ballistic missile launched from Iran prices, in accordance with a tough estimate, between $10 and $30 million, as much as 15 occasions greater than a single Arrow 3 interceptor. Contemplating the prices and the truth that the US can also be at the moment managing an arms financial system in preparation for a large deployment all through the Center East, additionally as a part of defending its allies, Israel might be pressured to rely extra on the weapons it has at its disposal. When it comes to prices, any interception carried out by a US system is on the expense of the US protection price range.
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Will David’s Sling be built-in into the interception array?
In keeping with estimates 800 long-range ballistic missiles have been launched at Israel since October 7, 2023. Half of this excessive quantity have been fired to date in barrages from Iran since final Friday, and one other hundred missiles in every of the 2 barrages fired final 12 months from Iran – the primary in April in response to the assassination of a Revolutionary Guard officer in Syria and the second in October in response to the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah and Ismail Haniyeh, and one other 100 missiles fired in whole by the Houthi rebels in Yemen. The price of intercepting with an Arrow 3 is estimated at about $2 million, whereas the price of intercepting with an Arrow 2 is cheaper at $1.5 million. In keeping with estimates, Israel has spent between $1 billion and $1.5 billion on interceptions utilizing the Arrow within the 20 months of combating to date.
Brig. Gen. (res.) Ran Kochav, the previous commander of the Israeli Air & Missile Protection Forces, refuses to touch upon the report in “The Wall Road Journal” or about Israel’s stockpile of interception missiles however he insists, “The State of Israel is aware of tips on how to make the changes required to handle the armaments financial system by rising manufacturing, adjusting warhead weapons, and adjusting software program – in cooperation between protection corporations and the Ministry of Protection, whereas the Air Drive adjusts protection coverage and fight doctrine and manages the precise armaments financial system primarily based on understanding which missile goes to which goal. If a rocket is fired from Tyre to Nahariya, it will also be intercepted with Iron Dome, which is taken into account cheaper to intercept, however the query is what degree of danger is taken in relation to the interception proportion, as a result of human lives are high precedence.”
The Ministry of Protection is reportedly contemplating combining missiles from the David’s Sling system, which is designed for medium-range cruise missiles and precision missiles, in intercepting Iranian missiles. It is a system that has helped intercept missiles from Lebanon and Gaza, and its interception price is estimated at $700,000, decrease than the price of the Arrow. Iron Dome might assist intercept elements of ballistic missiles which have exploded into giant interception fragments, which might trigger important harm. Iron Dome and David’s Sling, though they’ve collectively handled about 40,000 short- and medium-range missiles fired from Gaza and Lebanon since 2023, price much less. The price of an Iron Dome interceptor is estimated at solely $30,000.
No response has been forthcoming from the Ministry of Protection, the IDF Spokesperson or Israel Aerospace Industries, which manufactures the Arrow 3.
Printed by Globes, Israel enterprise information – en.globes.co.il – on June 19, 2025.
© Copyright of Globes Writer Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2025.
