'Deadly trajectory': Why Blue Sparrow missiles are nearly impossible to shoot down

The Blue Sparrow is an advanced air-launched ballistic missile developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems in Israel. It measures 6.51 metres in length and weighs nearly 1,900 kilogrammes. The missile uses a single-stage solid rocket propellant to power its initial flight.

Fighter jets like the F-15 Eagle launch the missile from high altitudes well outside enemy airspace. It boasts an operational range of roughly 2,000 kilometres. This allows the launching aircraft to remain safely away from hostile air defence systems.

Upon release, the missile's booster ignites and propels it upward on a steep, quasi-ballistic trajectory. It climbs rapidly until it briefly exits the Earth's atmosphere. This near-space flight path allows it to travel undetected by many conventional tracking networks.

After reaching its peak altitude, the front section known as the re-entry vehicle detaches from the main body. It then falls back to Earth in a nearly vertical drop toward its target. Small onboard thrusters help the vehicle stay on a precise course as it plunges.

Most air defence networks are built to track targets approaching horizontally from the horizon. The Blue Sparrow drops straight down from above at several times the speed of sound. This steep angle gives anti-aircraft batteries almost zero time to react or fire interceptors.

Israel originally built the Sparrow missile family to act as dummy targets for its Arrow missile defence system. They were designed to mimic the flight patterns of enemy ballistic weapons. Defence engineers later modified the technology to create combat-ready offensive weapons.

The combat-ready versions carry a heavy explosive warhead weighing up to 500 kilogrammes. They rely on a dual GPS and inertial navigation system to find their exact destination. The missile can strike a designated target within an accuracy margin of just 3 metres.