In recent years, numerous Israeli lives have been saved by the Iron Dome, an advanced defensive system that shoots rockets launched from the Gaza Strip out of the sky. But this system only works against the relatively simple rockets fired by Hamas and its allies. In the next major war, Gaza is expected to be a secondary theater as Hizballah rains down more sophisticated rockets from Lebanon and Syria, perhaps to be joined by barrages from Yemen, Iraq, and even Iran itself. To meet this challenge, Israel has developed David’s Sling and the Arrow, each intended to counter a different category of missile. Jacob Nagel and Jonathan Schanzer describe the latest breakthrough:
The Israeli Missile Defense Organization and U.S. Missile Defense Agency announced earlier this month the successful completion of a series of tests of a multilayered missile-defense system using David’s Sling, Iron Dome, and Arrow systems. . . . Success was not a foregone conclusion: there are significant technological and operational differences between these systems, such as maneuverability, range, and cost. But the tests proved the systems can work simultaneously.
For Israel, this was the first time all three of its missile-defense layers worked simultaneously, demonstrating interoperability and enabling Israel to leverage each specific system’s comparative advantages. It was a major milestone in Israel’s capabilities to defend itself against current and future threats.
The recent test also sends a message to Israel’s most important ally, the United States. U.S. interests are increasingly vulnerable to Iran’s growing arsenal of short- and medium-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial systems, and rockets. Repeatedly, Iran and its regional proxies have used these weapons to attack U.S. personnel and partners in the Persian Gulf, exposing dangerous gaps in American defense. Finding fast and practical solutions to fill those gaps should be an urgent U.S. priority. Proven Israeli technology can help.
Read more on Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/powerful-implications-israels-successful-missile-defense-test-opinion-1557212