Israeli MoD says 86% of Iranian ballistic missiles were intercepted

An Arrow 3 is launched during ‘Rising Lion'. (Israeli Ministry of Defense)

The Israeli Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced on 1 July that 86% of the ballistic missiles that Iran launched during Operation ‘Rising Lion' from 13 to 23 June were intercepted.

Included in a statement on the MoD's assessment of the performance of various aspects of the operation, this was the first precise figure Israel released for the performance of its ballistic missile defence systems.

The MoD attributed this success partly to the integration of “enhanced Arrow system versions” in recent months, with one entering service a week before the operation.

The Arrow Weapon System is the top-tier of Israel's air defences and uses Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 missiles that intercept ballistic missiles respectively inside and outside the atmosphere.

The MoD released a video of both Arrow types being launched during the operation, as well as interceptors being launched by the lower-tier David's Sling and Iron Dome systems.

David's Sling was originally designed to intercept short-range and tactical ballistic missiles, while Iron Dome is mainly used against artillery rockets and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), although the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has previously acknowledged the system has been used to target the debris resulting from Arrow interceptions.

The MoD said upgrades to both the lower-tier systems – including a ‘breakthrough' Iron Dome test against a UAV swarm in March – contributed to the interception of 99% of the UAVs launched by Iran during the operation.

It credited the high interception rates of Iranian ballistic missiles and UAVs with preventing USD15 billion in property damage and saving countless lives.