Latest news with #David'sSling
The Herald Scotland
9 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Is Israel running out of interceptors to take down Iran's missiles?
If the United States chooses to replenish Israel's missile interceptors, it would mean drawing from other stockpiles, since Congress wouldn't have time to surge U.S. defense production of more, according to Brandan Buck, a research fellow at the Cato Institute. That could include siphoning off interceptors marked off for delivery to Ukraine, to Taiwan in a possible future conflict, or from the U.S.'s own national stock, Buck said. "If they truly do run out... that's going to put us in a position in which we have to make some serious decisions," Buck said. "It's going to put the U.S. and Israel in a bit of a bind," he added. The U.S. could also position some naval ships off the coast to "augment some of their capacity," according to Buck. The USS Nimitz, a massive aircraft carrier, is en route to the region and will arrive in less than a week, USA TODAY previously reported. It will join the USS Carl Vinson, which moved to the Middle East in April. When Iran launched a volley of ballistic missiles at Israel in October, the U.S. helped to intercept its attacks using interceptors fired from two other U.S. warships. The U.S. spends $3.4 billion to bolster Israel's missile defense every year, including $1.3 billion for its Iron Dome, according to the State Department. Iran could still have thousands of missiles in its arsenal Israel keeps information about its missile interceptor stockpiles tightly under wraps. Its military said on June 16 that it had taken out a third of Iran's missile launchers. Israel says its missile defense success rate stands at greater than 90% against Iran's attacks in the ongoing aerial war. Still, some have evaded Israel's defenses, including the missile that struck a hospital in southern Israel on Thursday. It's also unclear exactly how many missiles Iran has left. The Pentagon estimated in 2021 that Iran just under 3,000 missiles of different ranges. Since Israel attacked Iran on June 12 through June 16, Iran had fired around 370 missiles, meaning thousands could remain. Israel's multilayered air defense system is designed to take down incoming missives from a variety of ranges. The Iron Dome intercepts missiles and rockets fired from a short range of up to around 45 miles, and David's Sling intercepts cruise missiles and rockets at a range of up to about 125 miles. The longer-range missiles fired by Iran are picked up by the Israeli-made Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 systems, which intercept ballistic missiles at a range of up to around 60 miles and 1,500 miles, respectively. In October, the United States sent Israel a THAAD system - capable of intercepting missiles inside and outside of the atmosphere - including American personnel to operate it. According to news reports, the United States sent a second THAAD to Israel in April, although the Pentagon has not publicly confirmed the transfer. The U.S. Army has just seven THAAD batteries in total - it will get an eighth later this summer.
India.com
18 hours ago
- Politics
- India.com
Hypersonic speeds, advanced techniques and...: How Iran destroyed Israel's famed air defenses Arrow, David's Sling and Iron Dome?
Israel's air defenses have significantly weakened since June 13. (File) Iran-Israel war: Iranian missiles have repeatedly penetrated Israel's multi-layered air defense systems– including the Iron Dome– causing widespread devastation across the Jewish state as the Iran-Israel war entered its eighth day on Friday. But how did Iran manage to breach the famed Israeli air defenses, which includes some of the world's most advanced and sophisticated anti-missile systems like Arrow 1, 2 and 3, the David's Sling, and of course the Iron Dome short-range interceptor? According to defense experts, Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) used a combination of methods to enable Iranian missiles to penetrate Israeli air defense systems. Saturation attacks to overwhelm Israeli air defenses When Iran launches a barrage of missiles at Israel, they are accompanied by swarms of low-cost attack drones like Shahed 136, which air primarily aimed to saturate or overwhelm the air defense as it has to engage numerous targets at once. Additionally, Iran does not fire all its aerial projectiles in one go, instead they are launched in waves, making the interception even more difficult for Israeli air defenses. This strategy allows a few advanced missiles to breach the defenses and strike their targets. Israel uses the Iron Dome for short-range interception, David's Sling for medium-range ballistic and cruise missiles, and the Arrow 2 and 3 to intercept more advanced aerial threats such as long-range hypersonic ballistic missiles. However, the country is running out of interceptors due to the sheer volume of projectiles launched by Iran, and may soon have to choose which threat to intercept and which to let through, according to reports. Variety of Iran's aerial projectiles Iranian attacks usually consist a mix of drone swarms flying slower and at lower altitudes, and the much faster ballistic missiles that have a higher flying trajectory, making it difficult for air defense systems to intercept a multitude of targets that have varying flight characteristics and attack trajectories. Additionally, some of Iran's missiles, such as the Haj Qassem and the Sejjil, are capable of reaching hypersonic speeds of above Mach 5, and follow a high-flight trajectory before rapid reentry into the atmosphere, leaving little for Israeli air defenses to engage and intercept the threat. Iran also launched its Fattah-1 hypersonic missile at Israel which reportedly travels at Mach 15 speeds, making it almost impossible for any air defense system to intercept. Maneuvering techniques and spoofing According to reports, Iran has also employed advanced spoofing methods and guidance techniques to guide their missiles, which allegedly Israeli air defenses, causing them to target each other's interceptor missiles instead of the incoming threat. While the IRGC has not disclosed the details of this purported 'spoofing' technique, experts believe that the Iranians have likely found a way to exploit the target acquisition and engagement logic of Israel's interceptors. Additionally, reports suggest that some advanced Iranian missiles employ employ maneuverable re-entry vehicles (MaRV) or release decoys, which makes tracking their trajectories almost impossible, and further complicates interception. Interceptions cost Israel $285 million per night As per defense experts, Israel is forced to spend around $285 million (approximately 1 billion shekels) to stop Iranian missile and drone attacks each night, with a single Arrow 3 interceptor missile costing a whopping $3 million. Israel will likely run out of interceptor missiles with less than two weeks time and will not be able to stop Iranian aerial threats if immediate military resupplies are not received from the United States (US), they say. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, Israel is running out of interceptors to intercept short-range missiles, and at the current rate, its ability to intercept and neutralize short-range ballistic missiles (SRMs) could last for around 10-12 days at best. Citing US officials, the report said that Israel may soon have to choose which missile to intercept and which one to let through if Iran continues its ballistic missile attack at the current pace. As per the report, Iran has fired more than 400 ballistic missiles towards Israel since June 13 after Israel sparked the ongoing Iran-Israel war when it conducted deadly airstrikes deep inside the Islamic Republic under Operation Rising Lion.
Time of India
18 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
'$12 billion a month': The cost of Israel's daily strikes and defence against Iran - war at a premium
Israel is spending hundreds of millions of dollars each day in its escalating conflict with Iran, with the cost of interceptors, munitions, air operations, and infrastructure damage mounting rapidly, according to The Wall Street Journal. The daily military expenditure could run as high as $200 million just for missile interceptions, with broader operational costs and infrastructure damage driving that figure significantly higher. Experts estimate that rebuilding damage caused by Iranian missile strikes could alone cost Israel at least $400 million. Former Bank of Israel governor Karnit Flug warned that while the economy may absorb the costs of a short conflict, a prolonged war could be far more damaging. 'If it is a week, it is one thing,' she said. 'If it is two weeks or a month, it is a very different story.' The financial toll is being driven in large part by the heavy use of Israel's air defence systems. The David's Sling system, used to intercept short- and long-range threats, costs around $700,000 per activation when firing its minimum of two interceptors. The Arrow 3 system, designed to stop long-range ballistic missiles, costs around $4 million per interception, while Arrow 2 costs approximately $3 million, according to military analyst Yehoshua Kalisky. The conflict has seen more than 400 Iranian missiles fired at Israel in recent days, most of which required interception. The cost of deploying fighter jets—particularly F-35s—adds further pressure. Each hour of flight costs around $10,000 per aircraft. The cost of fuel, munitions like JDAMs and MK84s, and logistics for long-range missions all contribute to Israel's spiralling war bill. Zvi Eckstein, head of the Aaron Institute for Economic Policy, noted that 'per day, it is much more expensive than the war in Gaza or with Hezbollah,' citing the overwhelming burden of ammunition and interceptor usage. His institute estimates that a one-month war with Iran could cost Israel around $12 billion. Despite the sharp military spending, Israel's economy has not entered recession. However, disruptions are widespread. Civilian life has slowed, with many businesses—including restaurants—closed, and only essential workers reporting to duty. The country's main international airport was shut for several days before partially reopening for return flights. On Monday, S&P Global released a risk assessment of the Israel-Iran conflict but left Israel's credit outlook unchanged. Surprisingly, Israeli stock markets rose on Wednesday, with investors betting on the resilience of the economy and a possible swift end to the hostilities. Economists point to Israel's past ability to weather prolonged conflicts, including the 20-month war in Gaza. However, the destruction inflicted by Iranian missile attacks is severe. Structural engineer Eyal Shalev said the damage caused by large ballistic missiles is worse than anything seen in recent conflicts. Hundreds of buildings have been destroyed or heavily damaged, with repair costs expected to run into the hundreds of millions. Meanwhile, Ynet News also reported that Brigadier General (res.) Re'em Aminach, a former senior defence official and IDF financial consultant, estimated that Israel spent about $1.45 billion during the initial two days of combat. Of this, around $593 million went toward offensive operations, such as airstrikes and flight hours, and the rest to defensive measures like missile interception and reservist mobilisation. 'These are direct costs only,' Aminach said. 'The indirect costs — including impact on GDP — cannot be measured at this stage.' The finance ministry has already lowered its GDP growth forecast for 2025 from 4.3% to 3.6% and warned that the existing emergency reserve, mostly depleted by the war in Gaza, does not account for a concurrent conflict with Iran. Israel's deficit ceiling for the year is 4.9% of GDP, or roughly $27.6 billion, which could now be under pressure as the war drags on.
Al Manar
19 hours ago
- Business
- Al Manar
Israeli Economy Hit Hard by Iranian Missiles: Losses Estimated in Billions of Dollars
The confrontation with Iran has been imposing significant economic burdens on the Israeli regime, surging into the hundreds of millions of dollars per day, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, threatening Tel Aviv's ability to sustain a prolonged war. Zvi Eckstein, an Israeli economist, and head of the Aaron Institute for Economic Policy at Reichman University, confirmed that 'this war is far more expensive than Gaza or Hezbollah,' referring to the latest war on Lebanon between September and November 2024. He said: 'The ammunition- defensive and offensive- is the big expense.' The institute estimated that a month-long war could cost Israel as much as $12 billion. According to a June 15 report by the Israeli news outlet Ynet News, quoting a former financial adviser to the Israeli military's chief of staff, stated that the cost has exceeded 5.5 billion shekels (roughly $1.45 billion) for the first two days of confrontation with Iran alone. The economic losses mainly constitute of the Israeli attacks on Iran and the interception of Iranian missiles – attack and defense. Consequently, the financial toll from Iranian missile strikes increases accordingly. $14 billion in damage to Israel after morning attack Today's Iranian strike has already caused initial losses of $14 billion on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. Israel's main stock exchange index, with a total turnover of $475 billion, fell more than 3% – its biggest drop since the… — Sprinter Observer (@SprinterObserve) June 19, 2025 High-Tech Attack and Defense Systems According to Israeli economic advisers, Israel has been spending more than 2.75 billion shekels ($725 million) per day on direct military operations against Iran. Just jet fuel and armaments require a cost of almost $300 million each day. The Israeli Air Force has been actively launching F-35 fighter jets across distances exceeding 1,000 miles, costing roughly $10,000 per hour of flight. In terms of air defenses, David's Sling is one of Israeli key defense systems that intercepts short-to-medium range missiles and drones at a cost of approximately $700,000 per intercept, typically using two missiles per launch. Meanwhile, 'Arrow 3' system, operating beyond the atmosphere to counter long-range ballistic missiles, costs about 4$ million per interception. Its predecessor, 'Arrow 2,' designed for in-atmosphere interception, costs roughly $3 million per missile. Mounting Damage Drains the Israeli Economy Engineers has been estimating that reconstruction costs due to missile strikes will exceed $400 million as a result of the damage of hundreds of buildings, and the evacuation of more than 5,000 civilians. After being hit, the largest Israeli oil refinery in Haifa has been temporarily shut down, and work in several significant infrastructure sectors has been suspended. According to the Israeli public broadcaster 'Kan,' the Israeli regime will approve a payment of 500 shekels (approximately $145) for each settler whose home was destructed in the Iranian missile strikes, neglecting any compensation for owners of commercial properties. An Israeli economic journalist, Liel Keiser, also highlighted the destruction of around 1,500 homes and apartments over just 4 days of the Iranian missile strikes. She warned that the fund designated for property tax holds roughly 9.5 billion shekels and has been gradually depleted, imposing an emerging cause for concern.
Time of India
20 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Beneath the Iron Dome, Iran tests Israel's deterrence
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The intensifying conflict between Iran and Israel has exposed both the strengths and vulnerabilities of Israel's military posture, particularly its dependence on air defense systems to shield its territory from a sustained ballistic missile campaign. While Israel's technologically advanced missile defence architecture has proven capable of intercepting the vast majority of Iranian missiles so far, it faces a reckoning now: Can Israel maintain its missile shield in a long-term war of attrition?Since Iran initiated missile attacks last week, Israel's multi-layered air defense system -- a complex integration of Iron Dome (short-range), David's Sling (medium-range), and the Arrow system (long-range) -- has been operating at near-full capacity. The Arrow system, in particular, designed to intercept high-altitude ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere, has become the lynchpin of Israel's strategic defense against Iran's increasingly precise, long-range performance of these systems has been stellar. According to various media reports quoting Israeli authorities, most of the incoming missiles have been successfully intercepted, preventing significant infrastructure damage or civilian casualties. However, success comes at a cost, and that cost is becoming a pressing concern in military and political circles in from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal indicate a growing concern among Israeli defence officials about the pace at which interceptors are being used. A senior US official confirmed that Israel's supply of Arrow interceptors, costing roughly $3 million each, is running low. If Iran maintains its current tempo of missile launches, Israel may only have enough interceptors left for 10 to 12 more days, according to intelligence sources quoted by the WSJ. Moreover, Israeli financial daily The Marker estimates that nightly missile defense operations could cost as much as 1 billion shekels (approximately $285 million). This extraordinary financial burden is compounded by the logistical limits of replenishing high-tech interceptors that require months to manufacture and the context of attritional warfare , where endurance and resupply become as important as battlefield success, Israel's heavy reliance on missile defence may become a strategic liability. Iran's ballistic missile arsenal, one of the largest in the world, allows it to absorb higher losses and maintain pressure without necessarily achieving direct military victories. For Iran, the cost of launching a missile is significantly lower than the cost for Israel to intercept one. This imbalance introduces a dangerous asymmetry. Even if each Iranian missile is intercepted, the financial and logistical strain on Israel could grow unsustainable over time. Attrition, in this case, becomes a tool of strategic leverage for Iran, by forcing Israel into a prolonged and expensive this vulnerability, Israel's ability to sustain its current operational tempo may hinge not only on its domestic industrial capacity but also on rapid US resupply. The US has historically supported Israel with missile defence funding and technological cooperation. US strategic planners are reportedly considering ways to boost production and provide emergency shipments, but even under optimal conditions, these efforts may not keep pace with operational demands if the war drags on for weeks or months. The chance of a missile shortage, especially for critical systems like Arrow, raises the possibility that Israel may have to prioritise targets, ration interceptors or rely more heavily on offensive operations to degrade Iran's launch an attritional scenario, Israel may be compelled to shift its operational doctrine. Rather than absorb waves of missile attacks, Israeli forces could increase the scale and intensity of air strikes inside Iran in an attempt to preempt or degrade its missile capabilities at the source. This shift would, however, raise the stakes dramatically and could lead to a broader regional escalation involving Iranian proxies in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. This would also carry political and humanitarian costs, particularly if Iranian counterstrikes increase civilian air defense system has performed with impressive precision and effectiveness, maintaining the country's security during the initial days of conflict. However, the sustainability of this defence is now in question. US President Donald Trump has given a two-week deadline for making a decision whether to enter conflict. With missile interceptor supplies dwindling and resupply timelines uncertain, Israel faces a narrowing window in which to recalibrate its the war continues at its current pace, Israel will soon be forced to decide between escalating offensively to reduce the missile threat or adjusting its defense doctrine to prioritize critical assets. Either choice will pose significant risks. Israel, a country renowned for its military innovation, may now face its most severe test -- not in defeating its enemies outright, but in sustaining its defence long enough to shape the endgame.
