Latest news with #MissileDefenceProject
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
How the militaries of Israel and Iran compare
On Thursday, an Israeli military official said that Iran used a missile with multiple warheads, posing a new challenge to its defences. There was no immediate independent analysis of the attack. Iran claims to have a multi-warhead missile, known as the Khorramshahr, which was first tested in 2017 and appears likely to be derived from a North Korean missile, according to a report by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies' Missile Defence Project. According to the CSIS report, 'the 'multiple warheads' claim is most likely a reference to a sub-munitions warhead, rather than multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) technology'. A true MIRV missile allows separately targeted warheads to be set on independent paths from the main missile. The security of Iran's top commanders has also been a recurring problem, with the head of the Revolutionary Guards, General Hossein Salami, and General Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of Iran's armed forces, among those who killed in last Friday's strikes in Tehran. Top nuclear scientists were also killed. Other senior commanders have been killed in recent strikes around the region. Iran's nuclear program has advanced in recent years, and it is believed to have developed enough uranium enriched to near-weapons grade levels to produce multiple nuclear weapons in a matter of months if it took the decision to do so. But Iran would need even more time to develop a missile or other means of weaponising them. Israel does not appear inclined to take that chance, however, having already struck facilities manufacturing nuclear material and ballistic missiles. How does Israel compare? Loading Israel's formidable land, sea and air forces are derived from both the latest US and European technology as well as a robust domestic defence industry that can design, build and sustain a full range of armaments, allowing it to take on opponents on multiple fronts at the same time. For a small nation, it also has a considerable supply of troops, with about 170,000 active duty forces and another 400,000 reserves. Though fewer than Iran, Israel's forces have been battle-hardened by regional conflicts. One option for Iran's counterstrike may include hundreds of ballistic missiles targeting Israel, though how long that could be sustained is unclear. In October 2024, a massive Iranian missile assault on Israel caused only limited damage, partly because of US help in shooting down Iranian missiles. That defence was made possible by Israel's multi-tiered missile defences. The sophisticated system, developed over decades with considerable US support, is capable of detecting incoming fire and deploying only if the projectile is headed toward a population centre or sensitive military or civilian infrastructure. Israeli leaders say the system isn't 100 per cent guaranteed, but credit it with preventing serious damage and countless casualties. Israel is widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East, though it has never acknowledged having such weapons. Israel also has a steadfast ally in the United States, which has been key in previous conflicts and will likely be crucial in any that follow. The US role The United States has distanced itself from the Israeli actions, but could be a target of Iranian retaliation. Among the US assets in the region are an aircraft carrier with about 60 fighters in the Arabian Sea, along with dozens of other jets at bases throughout the region – as well as thousands of troops. America also has 'bunker-buster' bombs, which have assumed central importance because of Iran's Fordow nuclear site buried deep within a mountain. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Israel took 'unilateral action against Iran', warning Iran not to target US forces in retaliation. In recent days, the US began pulling some diplomats from Iraq's capital and offering voluntary evacuations for the families of US troops in the wider Middle East. Israel already curtailed Iran's ability to fight back, having decimated Iranian proxies Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah and heavily bombed Iran's air defence systems. Ahead of Friday's strikes, Iran had vowed massive retaliation for any attack, not just against Israel but also US bases in the region, with one official vowing to in effect drive the US from the Middle East through the destruction of its military infrastructure.
The Age
a day ago
- Politics
- The Age
How the militaries of Israel and Iran compare
On Thursday, an Israeli military official said that Iran used a missile with multiple warheads, posing a new challenge to its defences. There was no immediate independent analysis of the attack. Iran claims to have a multi-warhead missile, known as the Khorramshahr, which was first tested in 2017 and appears likely to be derived from a North Korean missile, according to a report by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies' Missile Defence Project. According to the CSIS report, 'the 'multiple warheads' claim is most likely a reference to a sub-munitions warhead, rather than multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) technology'. A true MIRV missile allows separately targeted warheads to be set on independent paths from the main missile. The security of Iran's top commanders has also been a recurring problem, with the head of the Revolutionary Guards, General Hossein Salami, and General Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of Iran's armed forces, among those who killed in last Friday's strikes in Tehran. Top nuclear scientists were also killed. Other senior commanders have been killed in recent strikes around the region. Iran's nuclear program has advanced in recent years, and it is believed to have developed enough uranium enriched to near-weapons grade levels to produce multiple nuclear weapons in a matter of months if it took the decision to do so. But Iran would need even more time to develop a missile or other means of weaponising them. Israel does not appear inclined to take that chance, however, having already struck facilities manufacturing nuclear material and ballistic missiles. How does Israel compare? Loading Israel's formidable land, sea and air forces are derived from both the latest US and European technology as well as a robust domestic defence industry that can design, build and sustain a full range of armaments, allowing it to take on opponents on multiple fronts at the same time. For a small nation, it also has a considerable supply of troops, with about 170,000 active duty forces and another 400,000 reserves. Though fewer than Iran, Israel's forces have been battle-hardened by regional conflicts. One option for Iran's counterstrike may include hundreds of ballistic missiles targeting Israel, though how long that could be sustained is unclear. In October 2024, a massive Iranian missile assault on Israel caused only limited damage, partly because of US help in shooting down Iranian missiles. That defence was made possible by Israel's multi-tiered missile defences. The sophisticated system, developed over decades with considerable US support, is capable of detecting incoming fire and deploying only if the projectile is headed toward a population centre or sensitive military or civilian infrastructure. Israeli leaders say the system isn't 100 per cent guaranteed, but credit it with preventing serious damage and countless casualties. Israel is widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East, though it has never acknowledged having such weapons. Israel also has a steadfast ally in the United States, which has been key in previous conflicts and will likely be crucial in any that follow. The US role The United States has distanced itself from the Israeli actions, but could be a target of Iranian retaliation. Among the US assets in the region are an aircraft carrier with about 60 fighters in the Arabian Sea, along with dozens of other jets at bases throughout the region – as well as thousands of troops. America also has 'bunker-buster' bombs, which have assumed central importance because of Iran's Fordow nuclear site buried deep within a mountain. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Israel took 'unilateral action against Iran', warning Iran not to target US forces in retaliation. In recent days, the US began pulling some diplomats from Iraq's capital and offering voluntary evacuations for the families of US troops in the wider Middle East. Israel already curtailed Iran's ability to fight back, having decimated Iranian proxies Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah and heavily bombed Iran's air defence systems. Ahead of Friday's strikes, Iran had vowed massive retaliation for any attack, not just against Israel but also US bases in the region, with one official vowing to in effect drive the US from the Middle East through the destruction of its military infrastructure.
Metro
4 days ago
- Politics
- Metro
Israel will have to spend £6,600,000,000 to stop all Iranian ballistic missiles
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video As air raid sirens wail across parts of the Middle East, a staggering new figure represents Israel's miscalculation in launching a war on Iran – £6.6 billion. This is how much it would cost for the Israeli military to intercept each of the estimated 3,000 ballistic missiles Iran is believed to have in its arsenal. Each of Iran's fiery blasts intercepted by air defences carries a £2.2 million price tag for Israel. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said this morning that Israel has made a 'huge mistake', promising they will be 'punished' for the blood of 'martyrs' and the attack on their territory. In response to attacks on its nuclear sites and senior military figures, Iran has unleashed hundreds of ballistic missiles towards Israel over the last week – and has the capacity to deploy many more. Few reliable estimates for Iran's stockpile exist, but it is widely considered to be one of the largest and most advanced in the region. And some of these high-speed missiles can reach Israeli territory in just 15 minutes. Dan Caldwell, former senior adviser to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, recently said that most estimates 'put the number of Iranian missiles that are capable of hitting Israel closer to 2,000.' Israel uses 'Arrow' interceptors – with a range of 1500 miles to defend its skies – but it is running low on them, according to a US official cited by the Wall Street Journal. They can stop threats before they cross into Israeli airspace, and are one part of Israel's defensive network that includes David's Sling and the Iron Dome. With its most advanced defences burning through billions of pounds, the Israeli military cannot afford for the conflict to continue for a long time. Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defence Project, said: 'Neither the US nor the Israelis can continue to sit and intercept missiles all day. 'The Israelis and their friends need to move with all deliberate haste to do whatever needs to be done, because we cannot afford to sit and play catch.' Neither Israel or its biggest ally the US has actually acknowledged that there is a shortage of interceptors. The Israeli Defence Forces claimed yesterday that half of Iran's ballistic missile launchers have been destroyed so far in the operation – but that istaken with a pinch of salt. The 'Arrow' system is not the only defensive measure being used against Iran's missiles. The US has ground-based Patriot missile defence systems and Terminal High Altitude Air Defense (THAAD) systems stationed in the Middle East capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. Israel and Iran are about 1,400 miles apart, so only medium-range ballistic missiles – those capable of travelling over 620 miles – can strike the other. More Trending Unlike cruise missiles which are jet engine powered and fly in a relatively flat trajectory, ballistic missiles are rocket-powered and launched high into the atmosphere before descending back down to reach its intended target. They can carry either nuclear or conventional warheads. As the detached warhead(s) reenter the Earth's atmosphere, it can reach a speed greater than 1,988 miles per hour. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Is it safe to travel to Egypt? Latest Foreign Office tourist advice as Israel and Iran trade attacks MORE: Trump urges for 'everyone to leave Tehran' after broadcaster bombed live on air MORE: Is it safe to travel to Turkey? Latest Foreign Office tourist advice
Business Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Trump's ‘Golden Dome' US missile defence plan faces major challenges
[WASHINGTON] US President Donald Trump's plan for a nationwide missile defence system - dubbed 'Golden Dome' - faces significant technical and political challenges, and it could cost far more than he has estimated to achieve its goals. Trump wants a system that can defend against a wide array of enemy weapons - from intercontinental ballistic missiles to hypersonic and cruise missiles to drones - and he wants it ready in about three years, or as he nears the end of his second term in office. Four months after Trump initially ordered the Pentagon to develop options for the system, however, little in the way of further details has emerged. 'The main challenges will be cost, the defence industrial base, and political will. They can all be overcome, but it will take focus and prioritisation,' said Melanie Marlowe, a non-resident senior associate in the Missile Defence Project at Washington's Centre for Strategic and International Studies. 'The White House and Congress are going to have to agree on how much to spend and where the money will come from,' Marlowe said, noting that 'our defence industrial base has atrophied,' though 'we have begun to revive it.' She also cited the need for more progress on sensors, interceptors and other components of the project. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Trump on Tuesday announced an initial US$25 billion in funding for Golden Dome, saying its eventual cost would be about US$175 billion. That figure is likely far lower than the actual price of such a system. Thomas Roberts, assistant professor of international affairs and aerospace engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, said the price estimate was 'not realistic.' 'The challenge with the statements from yesterday is that they lack the details needed to develop a model of what this constellation would really look like,' he said. 'Not holding my breath' Earlier this month, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated the cost of space-based interceptors to defeat a limited number of intercontinental ballistic missiles at between US$161 billion and US$542 billion over 20 years. A system such as that envisaged by Trump 'could require a more expansive SBI (space-based interceptor) capability than the systems examined in the previous studies. Quantifying those recent changes will require further analysis,' the CBO said. The Golden Dome concept - and name - stem from Israel's Iron Dome air defence system. But the United States' missile threats differ significantly from the short-range weapons that Iron Dome is designed to counter. Beijing is closing the gap with Washington when it comes to ballistic and hypersonic missile technology, while Moscow is modernising its intercontinental-range missile systems and developing advanced precision strike missiles, according to the Pentagon's 2022 Missile Defence Review. The document also said the threat of drones - which have played a key role in the Ukraine war - is likely to grow, and warned of the danger of ballistic missiles from North Korea and Iran, as well as rocket and missile threats from non-state actors. Chad Ohlandt, a senior engineer at the RAND Corporation, said 'the threat is clearly getting worse,' but the 'key question is how to most cost effectively counter' it. 'Any questions of realism or feasibility' for Golden Dome 'depend on where we set the bar. Defend against how many threats? Threats of what capability? What is to be defended? As you raise the bar, it becomes more expensive,' Ohlandt said. Thomas Withington, associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, said 'there are a number of bureaucratic, political, science and technological milestones that will need to be achieved if Golden Dome is ever going to enter service in any meaningful capacity.' 'It is an incredibly expensive undertaking, even for the US defence budget. This is serious, serious money,' Withington said. 'I'm not holding my breath as to whether we will actually ever see this capability.'
New Straits Times
21-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Trump's 'Golden Dome' US missile defence plan faces major challenges
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump's plan for a nationwide missile defence system – dubbed "Golden Dome" – faces significant technical and political challenges, and it could cost far more than he has estimated to achieve its goals. Trump wants a system that can defend against a wide array of enemy weapons – from intercontinental ballistic missiles to hypersonic and cruise missiles to drones – and he wants it ready in about three years, or as he nears the end of his second term in office. Four months after Trump initially ordered the Pentagon to develop options for the system, however, little in the way of further details has emerged. "The main challenges will be cost, the defence industrial base, and political will. They can all be overcome, but it will take focus and prioritisation," said Melanie Marlowe, a non-resident senior associate in the Missile Defence Project at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies. "The White House and Congress are going to have to agree on how much to spend and where the money will come from," Marlowe said, noting that "our defence industrial base has atrophied," though "we have begun to revive it." She also cited the need for more progress on sensors, interceptors and other components of the project. Trump on Tuesday announced an initial US$25 billion in funding for Golden Dome, saying its eventual cost would be about US$175 billion. That figure is likely far lower than the actual price of such a system. Thomas Roberts, assistant professor of international affairs and aerospace engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, said the price estimate was "not realistic." "The challenge with the statements from yesterday is that they lack the details needed to develop a model of what this constellation would really look like," he said. Earlier this month, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated the cost of space-based interceptors to defeat a limited number of intercontinental ballistic missiles at between US$161 billion and US$542 billion over 20 years. A system such as that envisaged by Trump "could require a more expansive SBI (space-based interceptor) capability than the systems examined in the previous studies. Quantifying those recent changes will require further analysis," the CBO said. The Golden Dome concept – and name – stems from Israel's Iron Dome air defence system. But the United States' missile threats differ significantly from the short-range weapons that Iron Dome is designed to counter. Beijing is closing the gap with Washington when it comes to ballistic and hypersonic missile technology, while Moscow is modernising its intercontinental-range missile systems and developing advanced precision strike missiles, according to the Pentagon's 2022 Missile Defence Review. The document also said the threat of drones – which have played a key role in the Ukraine war – is likely to grow, and warned of the danger of ballistic missiles from North Korea and Iran, as well as rocket and missile threats from non-state actors. Chad Ohlandt, a senior engineer at the RAND Corporation, said "the threat is clearly getting worse," but the "key question is how to most cost-effectively counter" it. "Any questions of realism or feasibility" for Golden Dome "depend on where we set the bar. Defend against how many threats? Threats of what capability? What is to be defended? As you raise the bar, it becomes more expensive," Ohlandt said. Thomas Withington, associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, said "there are a number of bureaucratic, political, science and technological milestones that will need to be achieved if Golden Dome is ever going to enter service in any meaningful capacity." "It is an incredibly expensive undertaking, even for the US defence budget. This is serious, serious money," Withington said.
