War in Space: Israel’s Arrow Missile Defense System Intercepts Alleged Aerial Threat From Iran-Backed Rebels Outside Earth’s Atmosphere

Israel is one of the nations with the most advanced defense technology. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced last week that it shot down a threatening ballistic missile outside the Earth.

Israel's Arrow Missile Defense System Shoots Down Ballistic Missile

IDF took to X (formerly known as Twitter) and announced that it "successfully intercepted" a cruise missile launched from the southeast toward Israel airspace. It used F-35i fighter jets for the mission, and on the same day, the Arrow Aerial Defense System reportedly shot down a surface-to-surface missile in the Red Sea area. The missile reportedly traveled nearly 1,000 miles from Yemen.

Details about the alleged "aerial threat" are limited. However, the accepted boundary between the Earth's atmosphere and space is 62 miles above the surface.

The Israeli military claimed to have deployed the Arrow air defense system for the first time since the conflict with Hamas, the Gaza Strip's de facto government, broke out on Oct. 7.

When Hamas terrorists unexpectedly attacked Israel, they killed over 1,400 people and kidnapped over 220 more, sparking the start of the war.

Since then, the health ministry of Gaza, which is governed by Hamas and is home to 2.4 million people, has reported that over 8,300 people have died, many of them children.

On Oct. 31, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen became involved in the Israel-Hamas conflict when they allegedly launched missiles and drones at Israel, causing the Israel Defense Forces to deploy its Arrow 3 "missile-killer" in retaliation.

It is thought that Houthi fired a long-range, laser-guided Barkan 3 missile, which eluded other defensive layers' identification and compelled Israel to deploy its Arrow missile defense system.

The Arrow system is a testament that Israel owns the most advanced technology for protection against ballistic missiles at diverse ranges, according to Boaz Levy, CEO and President of Israel Aerospace Industries.

Israel's IDF spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said the threat only showed that the nation is equipped to protect itself and its interests.

Arrow Weapon System (AWS)

Arrow Weapon System (AWS) is Israel's anti-missile defense system. Israel partnered with Boeing in building the system.

Israel has several air defense radar systems to aid it from potential aerial threats. Its air defense radar systems include early warning radars, multi-mission radars, tactical 3D air defense radars, and drone detection radars.

The Arrow Weapon System (AWS), the first operational, national, stand-alone ATBM (Anti Tactical Ballistic Missile) defensive system, includes the Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 interceptors. The Arrow modular air defense systems, which are based on the incredibly successful Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 interceptors, are designed to detect, track, intercept, and destroy incoming tactical ballistic missiles (TBMs) carrying a variety of warheads over a wide area safeguarding population centers and vital installations.

The cutting-edge Arrow 3 interceptor is made to stop and eliminate the most recent, farther-reaching threats, particularly those armed with weapons of mass destruction.

With Arrow 3's smooth integration into the Arrow Weapon System (AWS), upper-tier multiple engagement options are made possible by complementing the current and upcoming blocks of the Arrow 2 interceptor.

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