Iran Flexes Its Missile Muscles

The lethal June 7 terror attack in Tehran that left 18 people dead was carried out by ISIS. Not unexpectedly, Iran vowed revenge. On June 17-18, this revenge materialized in the form of a volley of Iranian precision ballistic missiles fired at ISIS strongholds in the Syrian town of Deir ez-Zor. The Islamic Republic exploited the event to flex its missile muscles, a display designed to broadcast that it is a force to be reckoned with on a par with Russia and the US. It can project power hundreds of kilometers away from its borders and has the willpower and resolve to use force to promote its interests in the region.

Arrow Intercepts a Syrian Missile: Technological, Operational, and Political Aspects

Israel’s Arrow recently made its combat debut with the interception of a Syrian anti-aircraft missile. Remarkably, the 1991 vintage Arrow missile defense system managed to track, engage, and destroy a type of target never envisaged during its design. This sent a powerful message that Israel’s missile shield is reaching maturity. The political repercussions of the interception raised questions about its advisability, but the repercussions of a non-interception might have been even more severe.

Israel’s Air and Missile Defense During the 2014 Gaza War

The Israeli Air Defense Command deployed an efficient defense array against the rocket launchers in the last operation in the Gaza Strip. The operation also uncovered the gaps in the Israeli defense system that require corrective actions.

Iron Dome: A Dress Rehearsal for War?

If the appearance of Iron Dome on the battlefields of southern Israel was what compelled Palestinians to scale down the scope of their rocket fire, this would be a major strategic achievement of Israel’s newly deployed missile shield, and a resounding exoneration for the resources invested in it.

The Missile Threat from Gaza: From Nuisance to Strategic Threat

When the first Qassam rocket landed in the town of Sderot in October 2001, few observers, if any, perceived it as the harbinger of a protracted and increasingly furious campaign by the radical Palestinian groups in Gaza against Israel’s population centers adjacent to the Gaza Strip (the so called “Gaza envelope” communities) by ballistic weapons.

Iron Dome in Action: A Preliminary Evaluation

The Iron Dome missile defense system has succeeded in saving lives and reducing damages, thus providing more flexibility to the political leadership for containing the fighting with the Hamas government in Gaza.

מערכת ההגנה האקטיבית כיפת ברזל בפעולה: הערכה ראשונית

מערכת ההגנה האקטיבית נגד רקטות “כיפת ברזל” הופעלה לראשונה באפריל 2011 בהצלחה טכנית ברורה. רק לאחר ההצלחה הראשונה של “כיפת ברזל” החלו בכירי מערכת הביטחון לחשוף את המניעים הבסיסיים, את התכליות האסטרטגיות ואת מגבלות המערכת

From Nuisance to Strategic Threat: The Rocket Attack from the Gaza Strip on Southern Israel (Hebrew)

The Lessons of Operation Cast Lead and 2006 Lebanon War

Almost the entire Israeli home front has come under rocket and missile assault. This article surveys the Israeli response to rocket attacks, including the targeting of missile launchers and improved civil defense; and discusses the need for a comprehensive active missile defense.

הגנה אקטיבית בפני רקטות וטילים: לקחי עופרת יצוקה ומלחמת לבנון השנייה

מלחמת לבנון השנייה ומבצע “עופרת יצוקה” הוו דגם בזעיר אנפין למלחמות העתיד. איראן וגרורותיה סוריה, החזבאללה והחמאס אינם משקיעים כמעט דבר במערכות נשק “קלאסיות” של מלחמה בעצימות גבוהה. במקום זאת הם בונים ורוכשים כמויות עצומות של טילים ורקטות. בכל מערכה עתידית יהיה העורף הישראלי כולו נתון למתקפה עזה של טילים ורקטות בעוצמה שלא ידענו כמותה. מאמר זה סוקר את אמצעי המענה של ישראל למתקפת הרקטות