Israel shows its air prowess, uses Arrow 3 ‘missile-killer’ for first time to intercept Houthi rockets

For the first time, Israel used its Arrow 3 "missile-killer ", which is part of its ‘Star Wars’ missile killer system, while downing a rocket allegedly fired by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The confirmation came from the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) on Monday (Oct 31), saying that the missile was used to “thwart an aerial threat in the area of the Red Sea.”

The IDF added that the “surface-to-surface missile" was fired toward Israel but was intercepted before it could reach its target.

The lethal long-range air defence system is able to intercept ballistic missiles from thousands of miles away and blast them out of the sky.

“All the threats were intercepted outside the territory of the State of Israel. No intrusion into Israeli territory was detected,” the IDF added.

Following Israel's announcement, the Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the aerial assault and claimed to have fired "a large number" of ballistic missiles and drones at Israel on Monday.

In a video statement, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed it was the third attack they had launched at Israel and vowed there would be more to come.

What is Arrow 3 'missile-killer'?

It is a lethal long-range air defence system which has the capacity to intercept ballistic missiles at altitudes of over 100 km (62 miles), and in greater ranges.

Arrow 3 is part of Israel’s Arrow weapon system (AWS), a stand-alone anti-tactical ballistic missile defence system.

It is a key part of the country’s multi-layered defence missile array, which also includes the Arrow 2, David’s Sling, and the Iron Dome active defence systems, and was inducted into the Israeli Air Force in 2017.

The missile was jointly developed Israel Aerospace Industries and Missile Defence Agency in the US.

After IDF confirmed its usage, the Israel Aerospace Industries praised the IDF for the successful interception.

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“The Arrow is an advanced air defence system created and designed to intercept ballistic missiles outside of the Earth’s atmosphere,” IAI said.

“The Arrow system […] demonstrated today that Israel possesses the most advanced technology for defence against ballistic missiles at various ranges,” CEO and President of the IAI, Boaz Levy, said.

Capacities of the missile system

This powerful state-of-the-art piece system detects, tracks and then fires a hit-to-kill warhead to intercept the incoming missile.

It can cleanly blast the incoming warheads out of the sky, therefore preventing damage to buildings and civilians.

The missile system earned the "Star Wars" moniker due to its capability to safely destroy incoming missiles outside Earth’s atmosphere.

(With inputs from agencies)