How Israel defeated 99% of Iran missiles and drones — with the help of US and an unlikely ally
Goliath, meet David’s Sling.
Israel managed to shoot down 99% of the 300 deadly suicide drones and missiles that Iran launched at the Jewish state on Saturday night using an advanced air defense system known as David’s Sling — in addition to an array of other anti-missile capabilities.
Israel also had help from the US, the UK and an unlikely Arab ally.
Not a single drone or cruise missile fired by Iran and its proxies made it through, according to Israeli media. And only a few of Iran’s more advanced ballistic missiles struck Israel.
Despite facing a direct attack from Iran for the first time in modern history, Israel appears to have suffered very little damage, and only one casualty is known so far — a 7-year-old Bedouin girl.
“So the numbers are still are not 100% clear, but I understand 120 ballistic missiles, around 30 cruise missiles were flied, around 170 explosive drones — explosive UAVs that will route,” Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. (R) Peter Lerner told CNN.
About 40 rockets were also fired into Israel from Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“The same types of munitions that they have given to the Houthis, the same types of munitions that are being used against Ukraine.”
While the “Iron Dome” is famous for shooting down rockets fired from Hezbollah and Hamas, it took much more advanced anti-missile systems to intercept the huge barrage that Iran sent to Israel.
Nearly all threats that Israel intercepted were shot down by fighter aircraft equipped with air-to-air missiles; or by David’s Sling, an air defense system used to track and eliminate drones and medium range missiles; or by the Arrow 2 or Arrow 3 missiles — which are designed to destroy ballistic missiles in space, according to the Jerusalem Post.
Footage of the attacks shared by the IDF on X shows fiery missiles soaring through the air before being shot down.
Israel began shooting down projectiles around midnight as cruise missiles were launched from Iran toward Israel. The US was reportedly intercepting drones over Iraq and Syria.
The Israeli military also posted images of an F-35I stealth fighter returning to base after it was scrambled to protect Israeli airspace.
The US-designed fifth-generation fighter jet is capable of firing air-to-air missiles that can take out drones and missiles from many miles away — beyond the visual range of the pilot.
The US and other allies also aided in the “historically effective” interception of explosive drones and missiles fired at Israel, and President Biden called America’s “ironclad commitment to the security of Israel.”
National Security spokesman John Kirby told CNN on Sunday that the US intercepted “several dozen” missiles and drones.
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The US currently has Patriot missile batteries protecting American troops in northern Iraq, as well as the USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier group in the Red Sea.
Both could have potentially used their air defense weapons to target and shoot down Iranian drones as missiles.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the US also moved two additional destroyers — which specialize in shooting down incoming missiles and aircraft — into the region.
Two destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean intercepted three Iranian ballistic missiles over Israel, according to CNN.
US warplanes also intercepted targets.
The UK and France also confirmed their military assets in the Middle East shot down some of Iran’s barrage.
Additional help came from Jordan — a onetime enemy of Israel, which is now a US ally.
US-made F-16 fighter jets flown by the Royal Jordanian Air Force scrambled to shoot down incoming Iranian drones, the country’s military confirmed.
The country denied it was helping Israel, but said it was protecting its own airspace from threats to Jordanian citizens.
Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke after the attack. Following the call, Biden said he reaffirmed “America’s ironclad commitment to the security of Israel,” adding that “Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks – sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel.”
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Biden also told Netanyahu that the US would not take part in any offensive operations against Iran, CNN reported on Sunday morning.
According to CNN, Biden told Netanyahu that Israel should consider their success in intercepting the Iranian attack a “win.”
Biden also told Netanyahu the US would not participate in any offensive operations against Iran, according to Axios.
By Sunday morning, Hezbollah fired an additional 30 rockets from Lebanon toward northern Israel, the group taking responsibility for the strikes saying they came in response to Israeli strikes on towns in southern Lebanon earlier that night.
One of the rockets fell in Katzrin, causing damage to property but no injuries.
The attack comes after the Islamic Republic accused Israel of killing top Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi, who was a top coordinator with Hezbollah, on April 1.
With Post wires.
