Israel's multilayered air-defense system that protected it from 99% of Iran's drone and missile strikes

An intricate network of Israel‘s missile defense tech faced a serious test of its mettle Saturday night, downing ’99 percent’ of an aerial assault launched from Iran.

Approximately 170 Iranian drones, 120 ballistic missiles and over 30 cruise missiles had been launched from the Iranian territory in the attack, soaring over 1,100 miles.

Iran’s airborne phalanx was repelled by ground-based anti-air missiles with names like the ‘Iron Dome,’ ‘David’s Sling’ and ‘Arrow-3,’ the latest hardware in Israel’s frequently updated national defense arsenal. 

Below, an overview of the equipment Israel has developed, sometimes with the help of American military contractors, and how it keeps bombardments in check.  

First operational in 2011, Israel’s Iron Dome faced its first test over a decade ago, when militants in Gaza fired an estimated 1,500 rockets at Israel over eight days in Nov. 2014 – at least 10 Iron Dome missile batteries are known to exist, total (like this one pictured above)

Iron Dome

First operational in 2011, Israel’s Iron Dome faced its first test over a decade ago, when militants in Gaza fired an estimated 1,500 rockets at Israel over eight days in November of 2014.

Officials with the Israeli Defense Force reported a success rate of 90 percent, shooting most of those rockets out of the sky with the Dome — at least 10 Iron Dome missile batteries are known to exist in total.

Each one is equipped with radar to detect airborne targets and connection to a command-and-control system for remote firing.

The system is designed to intercept many kinds of rockets and missiles flying in high arcs, which can otherwise make the objects harder to counterstrike.  

The latest and arguably the top of Israel’s current system, the Arrow 3, was created specifically to take down ballistic missiles armed with nuclear and other, ‘nonconventional’ warheads coming in from out space-based trajectories (above)

Like the Arrow-3, the David’s Sling, previously called the Magic Wand is a two-stage rocker with a powerful range for intercepting larger missiles. These anti-air missiles have a range of 160 miles and can travel at speeds up to 7.5 Mach (above0

Arrow-3

The latest and arguably the top of Israel’s current system, the Arrow 3, was created  specifically to take down ballistic missiles armed with nuclear and other,  ‘nonconventional’ warheads coming in from out space-based trajectories.

Israel’s chief military spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said after last Saturday’s assault that the Arrow-3 had ‘proved itself against a significant number of ballistic missiles’ fired by Iran this weekend.

Its missile interceptor missiles are significantly larger than those fired by the Iron Dome, which are typically only just 6 inches wide and 10 feet long, and guided by miniature sensors for short-range rocket targets.

Arrow-3 missiles by contrast are two-stage rockets, 23-feet long in size, and can go at hypersonic speeds.

David’s Sling

Like the Arrow-3, the David’s Sling, previously called the Magic Wand is a two-stage rocker with a powerful range for intercepting larger missiles.

These anti-air missiles have a range of 160 miles and can travel at speeds up to 7.5 Mach. 

Each of these interceptors has two targeting and guidance systems installed in the tip of the missile’s nose, along with an electro-optical sensor for further identification of its target.

The project had been developed to specifically combat medium-range missiles reportedly in the possession of the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, north of Israel.