WarSclerotic

NTI: Global Security Newswire – Gaps Seen in Israeli Missile Defenses.

Potential gaps in Israel’s layered missile and rocket defenses could leave the nation’s civilian population vulnerable during an attack, United Press International reported Monday (see GSN, July 16, 2009).

The U.S.-backed Arrow 2 long-range missile interceptor system has never been tried in conflict while “David’s Sling” technology for use against medium-range threats could need another two years to become operational.

A combined missile and rocket strike by Iran and maybe Syria, along with the organizations Hamas and Hezbollah, could be too much for the Israeli air force to handle, according to some analysts.

The Lebanon-based Hezbollah launched roughly 4,000 rockets into Israel during their 2006 conflict. The group is now believed to hold about 45,000 rockets, which could reach much of the country, including Tel Aviv and the Dimona nuclear reactor.

Meanwhile, recent information from Rafael Advanced Weapons Systems has also suggested Jerusalem’s new Iron Dome system, developed to combat rockets launched by rival entities, could take 30 seconds to respond to a incoming short-range rocket with an travel time of 15 seconds.

These potential flaws in the missile and rocket shield could permit an estimated 8,000 civilian casualties if Israel is under attack, according to one analysis (United Press International, March 15).

This entry was posted on March 17, 2010 at 2:27 PM and is filed under Iran / Israel War. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.