Explosions and raid sirens rocked Israel on Sunday morning as hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles were fired from Iran.
This aggression brought the Middle East closer to the brink of protracted conflict and marked a major turning point in the region’s history. This episode, fueling hatred that has existed since Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979, is notable as Iran’s first direct military attack on Israel.
The UN chief issued an urgent warning, and the world quickly responded. Britain called the move “reckless”, Germany said Iran and its allies “must stop without hesitation”, and France warned that Iran “could be strengthened”.
According to Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, Iran fired a significant number of drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles, most of which were intercepted before reaching Israeli soil. He claimed that Israeli aircraft had successfully intercepted more than 10 cruise missiles outside Israeli territory.
According to Hagari, several rockets landed inside Israel. Although the exact facts are still being investigated, emergency workers said a 7-year-old girl in the Bedouin Arab community in southern Israel was seriously injured by one of the rockets. Hagari also reported a rocket attack on an Israeli army post that caused little damage and no injuries.
“Iran’s broad offensive is gaining momentum,” Hagari said. “The Israeli military is doing and will do whatever is necessary to protect the security of the state of Israel,” he said in response to questions about Israel’s possible reaction. He explained that the conflict is still ongoing and that some Israeli warplanes are still in the air.
The biggest test:
Initial indications are that Israel’s popular air defense system has successfully repelled Iran’s main attack and passed its biggest test.
With 99 percent containment, Israel’s military said on Sunday it had effectively repelled Iranian attacks, including hundreds of drones and missiles.
Israel’s defense system, supported by the US, is designed to intercept missiles, rockets and mortars aimed at Israeli settlements or critical infrastructure. It is equipped with an integrated radar and a mobile missile battery. This system has been praised for preventing threats 90% of the time in previous attempts.
Iron Vault System:
Israel’s ground-based iron dome air defense system is primarily designed to intercept mortars, artillery shells, and short-range missiles. Its creation was mainly triggered by the threat of rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, and since then it has become an important part of Israel’s air defense plan.
The main features of the “Iron Dome” system are:
Origin:
With significant financial and technological assistance from the United States, the Israeli state-owned military company Rafael Advanced Military Systems built the Iron Dome.
Technological capabilities:
Iron Dome’s mission is to detect, assess, and deflect missiles that threaten people or critical infrastructure. It uses radar to detect potential threats and sophisticated computer systems to predict where the radar will fly to the desired location.
range:
When first deployed, it was effective against threats fired at ranges of 4-70 kilometers (2.5 and 43 miles), but reports indicate that this capability has been improved.
response time:
The iron dome’s ability to react quickly is one of its remarkable properties. After launch, it can detect and intercept incoming missiles within seconds.
Department of Battle Management and Control (BMC):
This section evaluates threats and manages interface operations by analyzing radar data.
Missile division:
The system uses the Tamir surface-to-air missile and its purpose is to detonate an approaching missile in the air without causing damage.
