From the Iron Dome to David's Sling – a look at Israel's air defense system

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's multi-layered air defense system appears to have passed another test after being repelled Iran's latest rocket fire.

In the attack on Tuesday evening, Iran fired over 180 rockets at Israel. The attack triggered air raid sirens across the country and forced residents to seek shelter, but caused only a handful of minor injuries and limited damage, in large part because many were intercepted or landed in open areas.

It was the latest success of an air defense system that intercepted projectiles fired from Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, etc. last year. Yemen And Iran. They ranged from short-range missiles to medium-range missiles to attack drones and long-range ballistic missiles like those fired on Tuesday evening.

In Tuesday's attack, the United States and Britain said they helped shoot down the incoming missiles. Explosions were also observed in the skies over Jordan, but it remains unclear who carried out the interception.

But the vast majority of Israel's air defense efforts last year were carried out by Israel itself. Over the decades, Israel has developed a sophisticated system that can detect incoming fire and use it only when the projectile is aimed at a population center or sensitive military or civilian infrastructure. Israeli leaders maintain that the system is not 100% guaranteed but credit it with preventing severe damage and countless casualties.

Here's a closer look at Israel's multi-layered air defense system:

The arrow

This system, developed with the United States, is intended to intercept long-range missiles, including the ballistic missile types that Iran launched on Tuesday. The Arrow, which operates outside the atmosphere, has also been used in the current war to intercept long-range missiles fired by Houthi fighters in Yemen.

David's slingshot

David's slingshot was also developed together with the USA and is intended to intercept medium-range missiles, such as those possessed by Hezbollah in Lebanon. It was used several times during the war.

Iron dome

This system, developed by Israel with US support, specializes in firing short-range missiles. Since its activation early last decade, it has intercepted thousands of rockets – including thousands of interceptions during the current war against Hamas and Hezbollah. Israel claims to have a success rate of over 90%.

Iron beams

Israel is developing a new system to intercept incoming threats using laser technology. Israel has stated that this system will be groundbreaking as it would be much cheaper to operate than existing systems. According to Israeli media reports, the cost of a single Iron Dome interceptor is about $50,000, while the other systems can cost more than $2 million per missile. In contrast to this is the interception of iron rays would cost a few dollars eachHowever, according to Israeli officials, the system is not yet operational.