The Economic Times — Israel is rapidly depleting its stock of Arrow missile interceptors, raising urgent questions about the sustainability of its missile defence against Iran. A senior U.S. official, quoted in The Wall Street Journal, confirmed that Israel’s supply of the advanced Arrow system — used to intercept high-altitude ballistic missiles — is running low.
The conflict, now in its sixth day, has seen Iran fire over 400 ballistic missiles, part of a wider arsenal estimated at 2,000. Israel has intercepted most of these using its multi-layered missile defence network, which includes the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, Arrow, and U.S.-supplied systems like Patriots and THAAD.
But that shield is now showing signs of fatigue.
“Neither the U.S. nor the Israelis can continue to sit and intercept missiles all day,” said Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “The Israelis and their friends need to move with all deliberate haste to do whatever needs to be done, because we cannot afford to sit and play catch.”
Pentagon steps in as cost soars
Washington has been aware of the supply shortage for months. In response, the Pentagon has quietly ramped up missile defence support, deploying assets on land, sea, and in the air. U.S. Navy destroyers have joined intercept operations in the region, supplementing Israel’s overworked systems.
But intercepting missiles isn’t cheap.
Israeli financial daily The Marker estimates nightly missile defence operations cost up to 1 billion shekels ($285 million). Each Arrow interceptor alone costs around $3 million.
A source briefed on U.S. and Israeli intelligence told WSJ that without American resupply or escalation, Israel may only have enough interceptors left for 10 to 12 more days — assuming Iran maintains its current pace of fire.
“The system is already overwhelmed. Soon, they may have to choose which missiles to intercept,” the source said.
Posted by External-Noise-4832
7 Comments
FAFO I guess
fuck israel
The iron clown 🤡
Sounds like Israel can’t afford to keep being the piece of shit they are
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Let congress remit the money aipac bought their loyalty with.
**Submission Statement**
Israel incurred an estimated cost of $285 million in a single night to intercept missiles launched by Iran, significantly straining its stockpile of interceptor missiles. This substantial expenditure highlights the financial and logistical burden of defending against such attacks, as Israel’s missile defense systems, including Arrow and David’s Sling, were heavily utilized to counter the Iranian barrage. The high cost underscores the ongoing tensions in the region and the resource-intensive nature of maintaining robust missile defense capabilities.