Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Iran launched a barrage of drones and missiles in its first-ever direct attack on Israeli territory on Saturday, triggering air raid sirens across Israel.
However, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) successfully intercepted the majority of the missile launches using the Arrow Aerial Defense System, along with other strategic allies. According to IDF, around 300 suicide drones, including ballstic missiles were intercepted and destroyed before they could hit the Israeli mainland.
The Arrow Defence System, developed by Israel Aerospace Industries and the US Missile Defence Agency, is a surface-to-surface missile system designed to intercept incoming threats.
It includes the Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 missiles, capable of intercepting short, medium, and long-range missiles in the upper atmosphere.
The Iron Dome system, along with David's Sling, complements the Arrow Defence System by intercepting short-range threats and medium-to-long-range missiles.
The system consists of a missile launcher, fire control radar, launch control centre, and battle management centre, which work together to detect and intercept incoming threats.
The Arrow 3 missile, with a two-stage solid-propellant booster, can reach speeds of Mach 9 and intercept targets in the exo-atmosphere before re-entry.
The United States has provided significant funding for the development of the Arrow Defence System, exceeding $3.7 billion by 2020.
Despite Iran's unprecedented attack, the Arrow Defence System proved its capability in protecting Israeli territory, highlighting the importance of advanced missile defence technology in the region's security landscape.