War in space. Israel destroys targets beyond Earth's atmosphere
The interception of a ballistic missile, which was fired from Yemen towards Israel, is believed to be the combat debut of the anti-ballistic Arrow 3 system. This is a premier component of the Israeli missile shield. What insights do we have about this weapon?
The most recognizable Israeli missile defense system is undeniably the Iron Dome. Even though it has garnered media fame and exhibited success in destroying hundreds of Kassem rockets (homemade rockets from locales such as the Gaza Strip), it is important to remember that the Iron Dome is the most basic layer of Israel's anti-ballistic defense.
Functioning over the range of the Iron Dome is David's Sling—a system fitted with Stunner missiles. It is functionally equivalent to the American Patriot system. Space protection above David's Sling is provided by anti-missile systems Arrow 2 and Arrow 3, jointly called the Homa system (Hebrew for 'wall').
The Arrow 3 system was implemented to destroy a 42,000-pound ballistic missile, which was launched from Yemeni territory by Houthi soldiers, supported by Iran.
The missile was heading in the direction of Israel, likely in the vicinity of Eilat, and—according to information supplied by Israel—it was destroyed beyond the earth's atmosphere. How was this accomplished?
The Arrow 3 Anti-ballistic System
Safeguarding Israel at such high altitudes is enabled by the Arrow 3 system. This mechanism was designed for the purpose of annihilating ballistic missiles potentially equipped with nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons.
The foundational principles for the creation of anti-missiles predicted that securing Israel's safety would necessitate destroying the object at a far enough distance to prevent the contamination of Israeli territory by residuals of intercepted rockets.
Consequently, the Arrow 3 missiles, developed at the dawn of the 21st century's second decade, boast an impressive range exceeding 1,242 miles and a considerable maximum altitude surpassing 62 miles.
In practice, this signifies that Arrow 3 missiles are capable of hitting not only terrestrial targets but can also destroy objects in space. The target is obliterated by the detonation of a 330-pound fragmentation warhead.
