Israel and US exhausting supplies of ballistic missile interceptors, source says

Israel is using its ballistic missile interceptors at a rapid clip after four days of war with Iran, a senior US official familiar with efforts to resupply Israel told Middle East Eye. 

In some quarters of the US government, there are concerns that a direct US strike on Iran could lead to bigger Iranian retaliation against Israel that would drain the US’ global stockpile of missile interceptors to a “horrendous” level, the official said. 

Israel relies on a three-tiered air defence system, and Iran’s attacks are challenging its most sophisticated defences. 

The Iron Dome is used to shoot down short-range rockets and drones fired by groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. The second level is David’s Sling, which can intercept heavier rockets along with some ballistic missiles. The Arrow 2 and 3 systems are used to down ballistic missiles, with the latter able to shoot down exoatmospheric hypersonic missiles.

Replenishing the Arrow systems has been a perennial problem for Israel. 

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