How did Israel defend itself when Iran launched hundreds of missiles and UAVs?

Minimal damage

According to Israeli and US officials, almost all ballistic missiles and drones that Iran launched into Israeli territory on the night of April 13 and early morning of April 14, Vietnam time, were intercepted and missed their targets.

The majority of the attack was launched directly from Iranian territory and targeted Israel for about five hours. However, the Israeli military said today, April 14, that 99% of the more than 300 missiles and drones fired by Iran were intercepted by Israel and its partners, with only a “small number” of ballistic missiles reaching Israel.

An anti-missile system in action after Iran launched UAVs and missiles towards Israel on April 14, 2024.

Israel said that a total of about 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles were launched by Iran into Israel. In addition, Israeli military spokesman Danial Hagari said some of the weapons launched into Israel were fired from Iraq and Yemen.

In a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on April 14, US President Joe Biden said that Israel won because no assets were affected.

Ballistic missiles aimed at Israel fell on the Netavim air base in southern Israel, Danial Hagari said, stressing that the attack caused only minor damage to infrastructure. The base continued to operate normally after the incident.

Photos released by the Israeli Air Force early on April 14 showed F-35 and F-15 fighter jets returning to base after carrying out a “successful” interception and air defense mission.

Iran launched the attack in response to an airstrike on its embassy compound in Damascus on April 1 that killed several officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack.

Israel is supported by many countries

US officials said more than 70 UAVs and three ballistic missiles were intercepted by US Navy ships and military aircraft, without providing details on the defense system used to shoot down the missiles. CNN reported on April 14 that the US Navy shot down at least three ballistic missiles using the Aegis missile defense system on two guided missile destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean. At the same time, US fighter jets also shot down many Iranian bombs.

US President Joe Biden (left) meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv (Israel) on October 18, 2023

Although the locations of the US jets were not disclosed, Reuters on April 14 quoted a number of informed sources as saying that the US air defense force operated at the US military base in al-Tanf (Syria), as well as along the Jordanian border and eastern Syria.

In a statement, President Biden said the US was well prepared to help defend Israel against an Iranian attack. "To support Israel's defense, the US military deployed ballistic missile defense aircraft and destroyers to the region over the past week. Thanks to these deployments and the skilled work of our service members, we helped Israel take down nearly every drone and missile launched," Biden said.

Britain also said it was ready to intervene using Royal Air Force aircraft in the area. "These British jets will deter any aerial attack within our existing operational areas," a Ministry of Defence statement said.

In The Times of Israel on April 14, Israeli military spokesman Danial Hagari also said that France was among the countries that participated in defending Israel against the Iranian attack. "France has technology, jets, radars very good - and I know they are contributing to patrolling the airspace," Mr. Danial Hagari revealed. He did not provide details on whether French jets shot down any missiles launched by Iran.

"We are working closely with the United States, the United Kingdom and France, who took action on the evening of April 13. This cooperation has always been close, but tonight it was demonstrated in an unusual way," said Mr. Danial Hagari.

The UK and France have not yet responded to the above information.

Strong domestic defense

Israel operates a range of systems to intercept all types of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and low-flying rockets. Among them, Israel's Iron Dome system has been in the spotlight since the Hamas-Israel conflict broke out on October 7, 2023, causing the current turmoil in the region.

Image of an Israeli Air Force F-15 Eagle at an air base on April 14, 2024

According to the Israeli Missile Defense Organization (IMDO), Iron Dome is the bottom layer of Israel's missile defense system.

There are at least 10 Iron Dome batteries across Israel. Each is equipped with a radar that detects rockets, then uses a command and control system to quickly calculate whether an incoming projectile poses a threat or is likely to hit an uninhabited area. If a rocket does pose a threat, Iron Dome fires missiles from the ground to intercept it in the air.

The next rung on the missile defense ladder is the David's Sling air defense missile system, which protects against short- and medium-range threats, according to IMDO. The system is being developed by IMDO and US defense company Raytheon.

Finally, there are the Israeli Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 systems, developed in cooperation with the US. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS-USA), Arrow 2 uses a fragmentation warhead to destroy incoming ballistic missiles in their terminal phase - when they reach their target - in the upper atmosphere. The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA - USA) describes Arrow 2 as an upgrade of the US Patriot missile defense system with a range of 90 km and a maximum altitude of 51 km.

Meanwhile, Arrow 3 uses strike technology to intercept incoming ballistic missiles in space, before they re-enter the atmosphere on their way to their targets. In addition, Israel also has modern fighter jets, including the F-35I stealth fighter, which has previously shot down UAVs and cruise missiles.

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