Air defense system trials, reinforcement of US forces in the theater, and the dispatch of advanced aircraft, are just some of the steps taken by the US and Israel lately in the face of the threats by Iran and its proxies of an attack in response to the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
Last week, Israel successfully completed a trial of the LRAD interceptor, fired from INS Atzmaut, a Sa'ar 6-class corvette. In the trial, a precision rocket was fired at a target representing "a strategic maritime asset", presumably meaning a gas production platform, as the Israel Navy’s Sa’ar 6 ships were specially designed to protect the gas platforms in Israeli waters.
LRAD is one of the interceptors of the Barak MX system, and has a range of 70 kilometers. In the event of an airborne attack on Israel in the near future, this interceptor is likely to be used in action for the first time. A professional source told "Globes" that he estimated that the cost of an LRAD interceptor exceeded that of using the David’s Sling system, which is put at about $700,000. "The type of interception and the naval components make it more expensive," he said.
This means that interception of an aerial threat using LRAD is also more expensive than deploying air-to-air missiles, many of which were fired by the Israel Air Force to intercept UAVs and cruise missiles launched against Israel on April 14. The cost of the air-to-air missiles used by the Air Force against that attack is estimated at $400,000-500,000, each.
The engine of the Barak MX interceptors was developed and is produced by state-owned company Tomer. LRAD can deal with several threats, among them manned aircraft, UAVs, cruise missiles, rockets, and shore-to-sea missiles. That covers most of the capabilities of Iran and its militias. The Israel Navy, the Ministry of Defense and IDF’s Directorate of Defense, Research, and Development ("MAFAT"), and Israel Aerospace Industries, participated in the interceptor trial.
US forces in the Middle East
Israel is not alone in preparing for a possible attack. The US is also upgrading its readiness. White House national security communications adviser John Kirby said on Friday that, in the light of Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei’s statement about avenging Haniyeh’s death, the US had to "make sure we’ve got the right resources and capabilities in the region."
"The New York Times" reports that US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has decided to send F-22 Raptor stealth fighter aircraft to the Middle East. These are advanced aircraft that the US refuses to sell to any other country. They cost an estimated $350 million each (making the F-22 one of the most expensive fighter aircraft ever built), and $68,000 per hour to operate.
The US Navy’s deployment in the region has been reinforced with ships equipped with ballistic missile interception systems. In a statement on behalf of Austin released on Friday, deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said, "The Secretary has ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group, currently on deployment in the Central Command area of responsibility.
"Additionally, Secretary Austin has ordered additional ballistic missile defense-capable cruisers and destroyers to the US European Command and US Central Command regions. The Department is also taking steps to increase our readiness to deploy additional land-based ballistic missile defense.
"The Secretary has also ordered the deployment of an additional fighter squadron to the Middle East, reinforcing our defensive air support capability.
"These posture adjustments add to the broad range of capabilities the US military maintains in the region, including the USS Wasp Amphibious Ready Group / Marine Expeditionary Unit (ARG/MEU) operating in the Eastern Mediterranean."
Israel’s air defense array
Israel’s layered air defense array consists of the Arrow 3 and Arrow 2 systems produced by Israel Aerospace Industries as the top layers, and Rafael’s David’s Sling and Iron Dome systems as the lower layers. Arrow 3 and Arrow 3 are designed to intercept ballistic missiles, the difference between them being that Arrow 3 is intended for interceptions above the atmosphere while Arrow 2 is for interceptions within the atmosphere.
Besides these, as seen in the attack by the Houthi rebels in Yemen on Tel Aviv last month, air defense at sea is also required. That has been supplied in the past few months by another system installed on the Israel Navy’s Sa’ar 6 corvettes: C-Dome, the maritime version of Iron Dome, designed to protect assets in Israel’s economic waters against a range of threats, such as rockets, cruise missiles, and UAVs. The first operational interception by C-Dome was the shooting down of a UAV in April this year.
Rafael is the main developer of C-Dome. Israel Aerospace Industries subsidiary Elta developed the seaborne Adir radar that serves C-Dome, while Petah Tikva-based software company mPrest developed its command and control system.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on August 5, 2024.
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