Ballistic missiles fired by Iran shake Israel's economy: The cost of one night of air defense revealed

Following the comprehensive air operations launched by Israel against Iran on June 13, the financial toll of Tehran's counter-attack with ballistic missiles has begun to become clear. According to the Israeli press, the cost of missile defense interventions in just one night reached approximately 287 million dollars.

Haaretz newspaper wrote that Israel's air defense systems have been deployed more intensively following its military activities in Gaza, and that ballistic missile attacks originating from Iran have significantly increased the existing challenges.

In the report, it was stated that while the majority of the missiles launched from Iran were successfully intercepted, some missiles bypassed the defense systems, leading to deaths and significant material damage on Israeli soil.

It was emphasized that the interception of an estimated 10 to 12 ballistic missiles sent by Iran last night resulted in a total cost of 287 million dollars.

Boaz Levy, CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), stated in his remarks to Haaretz, “In April, they fired 100 missiles at us. In October, this number reached 200. Now, waves consisting of dozens of missiles are coming rapidly,” noting that the pressure on air defense systems is steadily increasing.

While Levy stated that the majority of the ballistic missiles fired by Iran were neutralized by the Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 systems, he also mentioned that THAAD systems and SM-3 missiles located on US destroyers stationed in the Eastern Mediterranean were used as additional defense.

Referring to the David's Sling system, which is part of Israel's multi-layered defense architecture, Levy said, “Israel also has the David's Sling system, but what concerns us in the types of attacks we are currently exposed to are primarily the Arrow systems.”

In the report, it was noted that while the interception success of the Arrow 3 system is estimated to be around 90 percent, the success rate of the THAAD system remains at approximately 40 percent.

THE COST OF THE AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM

The Israeli economic newspaper Globes stated that the country's air defense expenditures are placing serious economic pressure on the Tel Aviv administration.

While the cost of neutralizing a target with the Iron Dome is calculated at approximately 30 thousand dollars, information was shared that each shot of David's Sling costs 700 thousand dollars, Arrow 2 costs approximately 1.5 million dollars, and Arrow 3 costs 2 million dollars.

In a statement from the Israeli Government Press Office, it was reported that Iran has sent over 400 ballistic missiles and hundreds of UAVs since June 13, and that approximately 35 of these hit various regions on Israeli soil.

LAYERED DEFENSE SYSTEM

Israel's air defense architecture consists of four main systems: the Iron Dome, which aims to intercept threats with a range of 4 to 70 kilometers; David's Sling, which has a range of 40 to 300 kilometers; the Arrow 2, which has a range of 500 kilometers; and the Arrow 3 systems, which reach up to 2,400 kilometers.

In addition to these, US-made THAAD systems are also in the Israeli army's inventory. While the Arrow 2 entered service in 2000, the Arrow 3, developed against longer-range threats, was put into active use in 2017.

THE SPARK OF TENSION: ISRAEL'S OPERATIONS

Israel's simultaneous attacks on June 13 against nuclear facilities and military command centers in various Iranian cities suddenly escalated tensions in the region. A large number of people, including the Iranian Chief of General Staff, high-ranking commanders of the Revolutionary Guards, and 9 nuclear scientists, lost their lives in the attacks. According to the statements, the total civilian death toll was announced as 224.

In the ballistic missile attacks carried out by Iran as retaliation, 24 people lost their lives.

Many countries, led by Turkey, condemned Israel's attacks and called for the preservation of peace and stability in the region.