Why Gaza War Hasn't Become a Good Ad for Israeli Air Defense System
© AP Photo / Ariel Schalit
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The Israeli Defense Ministry is reportedly going to supply air defense systems to an unnamed country within the framework of a broader $1.2 billion deal, per Defense News. Neither the system's type nor the customer involved in the sale has been named so far.
The air defense system in question is one "with advanced technological capabilities, which has been operationally proven" as per Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
For its part, the Israeli media mentions the Barak MR as a possibility, while Iron Dome, Arrow 2, Arrow 3, Sky Capture, Eagle Eye III VSHORAD and others have also been named as potential picks. At the same time, the Western press appears to have no clue as to who the mysterious buyer is.
"Well, what can Israel sell now if its air defense is overwhelmed? America makes rockets for the Israeli [missile defense] system. They don't have enough for themselves," Dmitry Drozdenko, a military analyst and chief editor of the Fatherland Arsenal Internet portal, told Sputnik, referring to the ongoing Palestine-Israel conflict.
Yury Knutov, a military historian and political commentator, does not rule out the unnamed customer being Ukraine.
"In general, Ukraine has been a potential buyer for a long time. It openly approached Israel, but Israel said that they would not supply," Knutov said.
Last October, the Kiev regime officially asked Tel Aviv to supply it with the Israel-US-developed Iron Dome or other anti-missile systems. Defense Minister Benny Gantz rejected Ukraine's request, offering to provide it with early-warning systems instead. The Western press interpreted the move as Tel Aviv's unwillingness to spoil ties with Russia.
Earlier this year, the Netanyahu government once again ruled out giving the Iron Dome to Ukraine over fears the sensitive technology could fall into "enemy hands." (It seems that Israel's concerns were well justified given reports of Ukraine's black market.)
14 October 2023, 09:42 GMT
Which Are Israel's Most Famous Air Defenses?
Sputnik's interlocutors have drawn attention to the fact that Israel has a vast variety of missile defense systems, starting from short-range defenses to those which can intercept an air threat in space.
"Israel's production defense needs include the Iron Dome system, David's Sling, Arrow, Iron Beam - there are many complexes there that cover from near-space to the near zone," Drozdenko said. "That is, Israel is a fairly advanced country to this extent."
The Iron Dome protects the territory of Israel from short-range rockets and artillery; the David's Sling is the middle layer of Israel's air defense system, while the Arrow deals with ballistic missiles.
It was reported last week that Israel used the Arrow 2 system to shoot down the Qader surface-to-surface ballistic missile fired by the Yemeni Houthis on October 31. On November 9, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that Israel’s most advanced air defense system, the Arrow 3, made a successful interception of another missile heading for the Israeli city of Eilat over the Red Sea. It marked the first time Arrow 3 has been used in an operational incident, as per the Israeli press.
Earlier, in mid-October, the Israeli media reported David’s Sling medium-range air defense system successfully shooting down the Ayyash 250, a long-range surface-to-surface rocket launched by Hamas towards Eilat.
There were reports saying that the IDF would use Israel's laser weapon – the Iron Beam – against Islamists. The laser system is said to be capable of hitting various air threats by using a 100-kilowatt or more directed energy weapon at zero cost when compared to the Iron Dome.
10 November 2023, 06:38 GMT
Is Current Escalation a Good Ad for Israeli Weapons?
While the Jewish and Western press are touting the Israeli weaponry, international observers have drawn attention to Tel Aviv's strong dependence on the US military-industrial complex, which either participates in the development of some Israeli weapons or delivers much-needed missiles for the Mideast nation's air defenses.
Having given kudos to Israeli gunsmiths, Sputnik's interlocutors nonetheless suggested that the Israel-Palestine conflict has not become a good advertisement for Tel Aviv's air and missile defense systems.
The truth of the matter is that Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and other Palestinian jihadists managed to overwhelm Israel's air defenses and inflict serious damage to the state using relatively unsophisticated and self-made systems, per the experts. It was reported that the Islamists fired over 6,000 rockets at once.
"Massive attacks by even primitive missiles from various multiple launch rocket systems showed that the Iron Dome complex cannot cope with the tasks assigned to it," said Knutov. "It was penetrated, and the attacks were quite massive, they caused significant damage to Israel. That is, it deals well with single threats and it can also cope with a small number of targets, but overall it fails to fulfill the task."
What's more, it's not the first time that Hamas has managed to penetrate Israel's air defenses, Drozdenko noted, admitting that there are no 100% invincible air shields.
"Even before this conflict, Hamas overwhelmed Israel’s air defense system at least two or three times," Drozdenko said. "Israel could not cope with the raids. That is, it is capable of repelling certain, let’s say, attacks, but there is nothing extraordinary that would make Israel’s air defense system the best on the planet, because such systems simply do not exist. If we talk about advertising, then war is not always advertising."
20 October 2023, 14:14 GMT
