Israel’s air defenses are struggling under repeated attacks from Iran and Hezbollah, expert says

The arrival of a high-level US defense battery – and a large number of American troops – will help strengthen Israel’s air defense systems, which, according to one Israeli defense expert, are struggling under repeated attacks from Iran and its proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah.

“Israeli air defenses need any help they can get especially if the war escalates and turns into a war between Israel and Iran,” said Ehud Eilam, a former Israeli military and longtime security researcher. news and defense policy.

Israel’s current, multi-layered defense system is designed to intercept incoming ballistic missiles and other high-altitude explosive devices and, for the most part, protect cities and military installations that have broken out over the past year from Iran’s militias, Hezbollah and Iran’s Houthis. Yemen.

But as Israel prepares to launch a retaliatory strike against Iran – with its latest array of more than 180 ballistic missiles – there are concerns it will need to be ready for a further, significant attack from that country, which will it has a large number of missiles in the Middle East

Israel, with the help of the US, intercepted most of the missiles in the attack on Iran on October 1. But, Eilam told CBC News, the fact that not all were shot down may mean that Israel is balancing its supply of interceptors.

“Israel will have to carefully calculate how many missiles it can use,” Eilam said from Boston, where he is based.

“There is definitely a shortage of missiles.”

Israel’s air defense network is made up of three different systems: the Iron Dome that shoots down short-range projectiles, including rockets launched from Gaza; David’s slingshot, dropping medium-sized rockets, like those fired from Lebanon; and the Arrow program that intercepts long-range ballistic missiles from Iran.

The US-made Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system will soon be operational.

That system can even intercept missiles flying above the Earth’s atmosphere. The battery, which can be reset as it is installed in military vehicles, is expensive about $1 billion US and will be used by 100 US soldiers.

Although the deployment is seen as an important step by Washington, Eilam says he believes that Israel and the US cannot continue to produce missiles as quickly as possible.

Israel defends against attacks in many areas, which is very expensive.

The country is strengthening its production of ammunition and other weapons to equip its soldiers who have been fighting in Gaza since last year, and in Lebanon since the beginning of October.

In an article in the UK-based Financial Times, the chief executive of Israel Aerospace Industries, which produces the missiles used in the Arrow program, said its production facilities are working 24 hours a day, seven days a week to try to meet demand.

Eilam says each Arrow costs about $3 million.

While missiles pose a serious threat to communities and infrastructure, drones have proven to be a challenge for Israel to defend against, as they are small, slow and fly close to the ground. They are also cheap to produce, so they can be grown in large quantities.

Four Israeli soldiers were killed and dozens injured on Sunday after a helicopter crashed into the roof of a dining hall at a military base near the central Israeli town of Binyamina-Giv’at Ada.

“There was no alarm, I didn’t hear any thunder,” said resident Noam Weintraub, 20.

“We have an amazing air defense system … but sometimes mistakes can happen and of course, as we get better, so does the enemy with their drones.”

Israel’s military says it is investigating how the missile evaded air defense systems.

Eilam says missile intercepts sometimes don’t work against drones.

And while a single drone won’t cause anywhere near the damage of a ballistic missile, it can still be dangerous, and Iran has plenty of them, he says.

Its drones have also been used by Russia – they are used throughout the war in Ukraine against cities and infrastructure.

Drones are “like fear weapons because they can come and hit the middle of the city,” said Eilam.

On Monday, several Israeli companies participated in a test where they tested prototypes to intercept drones. Field testing takes place in southern Israel, and includes major defense contractors and startups. The Israeli government has said it will select a number of technologies that will go through rapid testing and production.