• Source:JND
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Israel-Iran War:  Iran fired over 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday as a retaliation to the killing of Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah in IDF airstrike on September 27 in Lebanon's Beirut. The missile, which targeted almost every Israeli city, was seen flying over its territory while residents rushed to bomb shelters.

Israeli Defence Forces took to the X (Formerly Twitter) to announce that the missiles even targeted the holy city of Jerusalem, however, it remained confident that its air defence comprising multiple counter systems would intercept and neutralise most of the threats.

"Iran's attack is continuing. You are requested to remain in a protected space until further notice. The explosions you are hearing are from interceptions or fallen projectiles," the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said in a statement on X.

"The Aerial Defense Array is currently identifying and intercepting launches," it added.

The array of Israeli air defence constitutes time-tested systems such as Arrow, David's Sling, Iron Dome and Iron Beam. Israel began its journey of air space defence after the Gulf War of 1991 and achieved near total effectiveness in securing its cities from projectiles.

Arrow

The Arrow air defence system of Israel is capable of intercepting and destroying ballistic missiles beyond Earth's atmosphere. It was developed with Iranian threats in mind and has been paying well since its launch.

The Arrow-3, the most advanced Arrow defence system is seeing increased global demand with countries like Germany purchasing it from Israel.

David's Sling

Israel uses David's Sling, named after the second king of ancient Judah, to counter mid-range missiles with 100 to 200-kilometer projectiles. It engages the target in mid-air and is known for its efficiency. Developed jointly by Rafale and Raytheon, David's Sling is capable of intercepting aircraft, drones, and cruise missiles - providing an all-out air cover to Israel.

Iron Dome

The short-range projectile defender, Iron Dome was developed keeping Hamas and Hezbollah rocket attacks in mind. Originally it was developed to provide citywide protection up to 70 kilometers of threats but its scope was expanded.

Interestingly, Iran Dome tracks the rocket and judges if it will fall in a populated area. In case it does, Iron Dome counters it, otherwise, it allows them to land harmlessly.

Iron Beam

Iron Beam, also known as Magen -meaning 'Light Shield' in Hebrew- is the only system of its kind in the world. Developed by Israeli defence contractor Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Iron Beam was first unveiled in 2014.

This system is designed with a range of up to 7 km, considering threats such as short-range rockets, mortar bombs, drones and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).