New Delhi: The entry of Yemen’s Houthi rebels into the Israel-Hamas war has resulted in an unprecedented development, breaking records in modern warfare. Last week, the Houthis fired a ballistic missile that travelled at least 1,600 km before being intercepted by Israel’s long-range air defence system, Arrow, which was used for its original purpose for the first time.
The Qader missile fired by the Iran-backed Houthis — an improved version of the Iranian Shahab 3 — has the longest range of any ballistic missile fired from ground batteries, among those that have been used so far.
The Shi’ite Houthis’ entry into the ongoing conflict, which began with the Palestinian Sunni militant group Hamas’ attack on Israel on 7 October, has brought to the fore the use of advanced technology on both sides.
What has stood out most in the conflict, however, is the range at which Israel intercepted the Qader missile.
For this, Israel used Arrow, its advanced air defence system designed specifically to take down long-range ballistic missiles.
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Houthis’ long-range missile versus Israel’s Arrow
In a statement issued on 31 October, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said their air force systems had tracked the trajectory of the missile and intercepted it “at the most appropriate operational time and location”. The interception took place over the Red Sea, they said.
The IDF added that all threats were “intercepted outside the territory of the state of Israel and that no intrusion into the Israeli territory was detected”.
The statement was referring to Israel’s use of the Arrow missile defence system, put into operational use 25 years after its induction.
The system did shoot down a Syrian S-200 surface-to-air missile in 2017. The missile was fired at Israeli Air Force jets but missed its target, instead heading toward a town. But this is the first time that Israel has used the system for its intended purpose — to shoot down a long-range ballistic missile.
Ballistic missiles can be of two kinds — the shorter-range ones that stay within the earth’s atmosphere and longer-range ones that are launched on a sub-orbital flight trajectory.
The Qader missile — reportedly an improved version of Iran’s Shahab 3, a liquid-propelled medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) first deployed in 2003 — is believed to fall within the second category.
What is Arrow
Israel’s air force operates several Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 batteries that can hit missiles at high altitudes. For this, the system uses a hypersonic interceptor to terminate incoming missiles in space, and is capable of targeting a missile that reportedly splits into several warheads.
The Arrow batteries components of Israel’s integrated missile defence system, which includes the Iron Dome, Iron Beam, and David’s Sling.
The Arrow system’s development was accelerated after Iraqi Scud missiles were fired into Israel during the 1990-1991 Gulf War. It was developed in collaboration by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), a major aerospace and aviation manufacturer, the Ministry of Defense, the US Missile Defense Agency, and the Israeli Air Force.
In a statement on 31 October — hours after the Arrow system intercepted the Qader missile — IAI lauded the IDF for the “successful interception”.
According to IAI, which helped develop the system in collaboration with the Israeli Ministry of Defense and the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Arrow is an advanced air defence system “created and designed to intercept ballistic missiles outside of the Earth’s atmosphere”.
The system “demonstrated that Israel possesses the most advanced technology for defence against ballistic missiles at various ranges”, the statement quoted IAI CEO and president Boaz Levy as saying.
According to the profile on the IAI’s website, the Arrow 3 interceptor is part of the Arrow Weapon System (AWS), which it describes as the “world’s first” operational, national, stand-alone ATBM (Anti Tactical Ballistic Missiles) defence system.
“Based on the uniquely effective Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 interceptors, the Arrow modular air defense systems detect, track, intercept and destroy incoming TBMs carrying a range of warheads and over a large footprint, thereby protecting strategic assets and population centres,” the company says.
According to the website, the Arrow 3 interceptor is designed to intercept and destroy the “newest, longer-range threats, especially those carrying weapons of mass destruction”.
With a “very short reaction time” and “two solid propulsion stages including booster and sustainer”, Arrow 3’s most defining feature, according to the IAI, is its “very large defended area” along with “outstanding manoeuvrability and divert capability”.
(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)
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