Air defense network "collapsed", Israel seeks to buy US missile shield

Preparing for a possible future conflict with Iran, Israel is urgently looking to purchase the AEGIS Ashore anti-missile system from the US.

Following the end of hostilities between Iran and Israel in a ceasefire on June 24, after Israel initiated the hostilities by launching large-scale strikes on Iranian targets, many important questions have been raised about how both Middle Eastern nations will bolster their defenses in preparation for the possibility of future phases of conflict. Photo: @CNN.

In fact, the IDF has been preparing for contingencies that could lead to a full-scale conflict with Iran for decades, with investments in heavily customized F-35 fifth-generation fighters, a large arsenal of indigenous air-launched ballistic and cruise missiles, and more recently the purchase of F-15EX heavyweight fighters optimized for long-range operations, aimed at countering the Iranian Armed Forces. Photo: @Naval News.

However, a primary challenge in engaging in open hostilities with Iran remains the ballistic missile capabilities of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, a force that has long expected and continually sought to be able to wreak havoc on targets across Israel. Photo: @Breaking Defense.

Less than a week after the Israel-Iran war broke out in June, Western sources including US officials quickly noticed a growing shortage of the Arrow anti-ballistic missile system, as well as the David's Sling and Barak 8 systems. Photo: @ Missile Threat - CSIS.

These concerns were exacerbated when Iran began launching ballistic missiles carrying multiple warheads in the final stages of the conflict, posing significant new challenges that Israel would of course need many times more interceptors to neutralize. Photo: @ The Times of Israel.

Israel’s missile defense system shortage has been exacerbated by its reliance on indigenous air defense systems, which remain the country’s only, and which cannot be supplemented by strategic partners abroad, providing emergency aid in times of high tension. Photo: @ The Times of Israel.

This is in contrast to the rapid addition of US anti-missile systems such as Patriot, THAAD and AEGIS to the US Armed Forces or other customers. Photo: @Breaking Defense.

Thus, the US Army's THAAD system and the AEGIS system on US Navy destroyers deployed to contribute to Israel's missile defense system, and the Patriot system used to defend against Iranian attacks on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, are all added to the US Army's arsenal from global supplies, and from much larger production lines, but the situation of adding to the Israeli Army's missile arsenal alone remains more challenging. Photo: @ Missile Threat - CSIS.

Israel’s difficulties in stockpiling anti-ballistic missiles and replenishing its depleted arsenal could be exacerbated by future Iranian attacks targeting facilities that contribute to the production of these indigenous missiles. Photo: @ The Times of Israel.

Given Iran’s reliance on ballistic missiles for its defense, Israel’s approach of relying almost entirely on indigenous systems is increasingly being questioned, with strong arguments emerging that Israel’s purchase of systems using US interceptors would provide a much greater advantage. Photo: @ Army Recognition.

While the Patriot system has repeatedly demonstrated serious shortcomings in the past, while the THAAD system has limitations in flexibility and is only deployed in very limited numbers by the US Army, the AEGIS anti-missile defense system is a much more attractive alternative. Photo: @ Army Recognition.

While Israel’s desire to present itself as a leader in missile defense technology and export its homegrown systems to more customers may make foreign purchases a disadvantage, the country’s security benefits from buying a US system are potentially huge. Photo: @Breaking Defense.

The AEGIS missile defense system is currently integrated on more than 110 destroyers and cruisers worldwide , including 74 US Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, two Zumwalt-class destroyers and nine Ticonderoga-class cruisers, as well as several Japanese and South Korean destroyers also equipped with this ballistic missile defense system. This number is much larger than just seven THAAD systems in the US military and one system operating overseas. Photo: @ Missile Threat - CSIS.

And the AEGIS missile defense system, which integrates the new SM-3 and SM-6 anti-ballistic missiles, considered one of the most capable systems in the world, has shown much more impressive results in testing than the Patriot and THAAD systems. Photo: @ Army Recognition.

A land-based variant of the system, called AEGIS Ashore, is being developed with the AN/SPY-1 radar and Mark 41 Vertical Launch System, allowing countries without destroyer fleets to easily deploy it for missile defense. Photo: @ Army Recognition.

The land-based AEGIS Ashore anti-missile defense system could be the optimal choice for Israel given its small territory and limited ability to project power at sea. By purchasing AEGIS Ashore, Israel would be able to quickly replenish its anti-ballistic missile arsenal from the US and potentially Northeast Asia, providing a much more robust source of missiles to prevent it from becoming completely dependent on its own systems. Photo: @Breaking Defense.

At the same time, the purchase of AEGIS Ashore could allow the IDF to benefit from new US missile defense technologies more quickly and seamlessly, without the hassle of negotiating technology transfer agreements. This could be especially important given the serious shortcomings of Israel’s existing systems that have recently been exposed when defending against Iranian ballistic missile attacks. Photo: @ Missile Threat - CSIS.

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