Houthi missile threat: How Israel defends against Yemen's arsenal

Since the attack by Hamas militants on Israeli territory and the subsequent counteroperation by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the Gaza Strip, Lebanese Hezbollah and Houthi rebels from Yemen—located about 1,243 miles away—have joined the fight. Here is what they used and how Israel defended itself.

Yemeni Houthis, who have been destabilizing international maritime trade for nearly a year together with Lebanese Hezbollah, are conducting attacks on Israel. Usually, these are ballistic missiles and drones, but after a series of bombardments by Israel and the United States, along with the United Kingdom, the intensity of Houthi shelling has decreased.

This does not mean an end, however, because the hidden weapon supplies collected over decades might last the Houthis for a long time. The latest missile attack took place on September 28, 2024, and was repelled by the IDF using the Arrow-3 system.

To attack Israel, ballistic missiles with a range of about 1,243 miles are needed, which only a few missiles can achieve. The Houthis might have used Toufan missiles, a local version of the Iranian Qadr (Ghadr) capable of carrying warheads weighing over 1,102 pounds.

Alternatively, local modifications of Iranian Qiam-2, Borkan-3 missiles with a range of over 621 miles, or Aqil, a variation of the R-17 Scud-B, might come into play. The primary modifications involve reducing the warhead to around 220-330 pounds in favor of a larger rocket fuel supply. This significantly reduces destructive capacity but, on the other hand, greatly increases range.

Introduced into service in 2017, the Arrow-3 anti-ballistic system had been developed by Israel since 2007 with substantial support from the Americans, who allocated $3.8 billion for this purpose between 2008 and 2019.

Conceptually, Israel's Arrow-3 system is similar to the American THAAD system and is designed to intercept ballistic missiles at distances up to 1,491 miles and an altitude of over 62 miles. These capabilities also allow for the interception of satellites in low orbit.

Interestingly, the first successful interception of a ballistic missile by the Arrow-3 system occurred in 2019, after it was introduced into service. The missile of the Arrow-3 system has a two-stage construction, with the second stage having its own propulsion and active radar head designed to get as close to the target as possible. At that point, the directional fragmentation warhead, weighing 330 pounds, is supposed to destroy the attacking ballistic missile.

It may not be the most sophisticated method in the world, but it is effective and significantly cheaper than the point-by-point destruction of missiles with kinetic energy through ramming. The Arrow-3 system has repeatedly proven its effectiveness, but the question remains whether Israel has a fast enough production rate of anti-missiles, given the intensity of the shelling.