The Arrow 3 missile defense system, designed to intercept incoming ballistic missiles outside Earth's atmosphere, has been successfully used in combat for the first time, as announced by the Israeli Ministry of Defense and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
“Israeli Air Defense Array soldiers successfully launched an ‘Arrow 3’ interceptor operationally for the first time this evening. It effectively intercepted a target launched towards Israel in the Red Sea region,” the IDF reported on Thursday.
An X (formerly Twitter) screenshot of the Israeli Ministry of Defense's statement.
© Photo : X/@Israel_MOD
According to the statement, the launch “marks the Arrow 3 system’s first combat interception since its operational deployment in 2017.”
Israeli media reported that “although not stated by the IDF, that likely means the incoming weapon was launched from Houthi militants in Yemen.”
Following the recent escalation in the Palestine-Israel conflict, the Yemeni Houthis have launched a series of impactful assaults on Israel. These attacks have included the use of cutting-edge cruise and ballistic missiles, as well as advanced unmanned aerial vehicles.
A surprise large-scale attack on Israel was launched by the Palestinian militant group Hamas from the Gaza Strip on October 7. In response, the IDF initiated airstrikes on the territory. Palestinian health officials report that over 10,000 individuals in Gaza have lost their lives during the attacks, while the Israeli death toll stands at approximately 1,600 casualties resulting from the armed standoff.