Why Israel’s Iron Dome Faces Challenges in Intercepting Missiles

Aakhir Tak – In Shorts

1. Due to limited interceptors in Israel’s Iron Dome system, it may prioritize protecting certain areas over others.
2. Israel has been facing a shortage of interceptor missiles since October 2023 due to ongoing attacks.
3. While the US is assisting Israel’s defense, it too is reaching its operational limits in aiding Israel’s security.

Aakhir Tak – In Depth

Israel is facing a serious challenge in its ongoing battle against attacks from Hamas and Hezbollah. Its primary defense system, the Iron Dome, designed to intercept short-range missiles and rockets, is being stretched to its limits.

Since the war began in October 2023, Israel has been facing a critical shortage of missile interceptors. The high cost of defending itself has exacerbated this issue. Each Tamir missile, which the Iron Dome uses to shoot down incoming threats, costs around $50,000, and usually, two missiles are fired at each target. This significantly increases the cost of the war.

In such a situation, Israel might be forced to make a difficult decision: choose which areas to defend while leaving others exposed. The number of rocket attacks by Hezbollah and Hamas has been so overwhelming that Israel cannot shoot down every missile due to a shortage of interceptors. While the US has been helping Israel by providing the latest Thaad missile system, this alone is not enough to resolve the issue entirely.

In response, the makers of Israel’s Arrow interceptors are working around the clock to ramp up production, but missile manufacturing is a time-consuming process. Despite these challenges, Israel’s defense systems have successfully intercepted thousands of rockets and drones.

Aakhir Tak Editor-in-Chief

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