Israel 'running low' on ballistic missile interceptors.
Iran is outfitting ballistic missiles with cluster munitions in a bid to deplete Israel's air defenses
Israel informed the US this week that it is running critically low on ballistic missile interceptors, as Israel’s long-range defense system comes under strain from Iran’s attacks, Semafor reported on 15 March, citing US officials.
The US has reportedly been aware of Israel’s interceptor shortage for months, but according to one US official, “It’s something we expected and anticipated.”
This official emphasized that the US is not suffering from a similar shortage of interceptors.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar denied on Sunday that it was running low on missile interceptors.
That comment comes amid reports that the US joined Israel to initiate a major conflict with Iran without sufficient interceptors to fight a sustained war.
Defense analysts speaking with the Military Times on 5 March warned that the US military’s finite interceptor stockpile could be “strained and potentially exhausted” if the war lasts longer than US President Donald Trump initially expected.
After only two weeks of fighting, the US military is having difficulty protecting its network of bases across the region, including in the Gulf states and Iraq.
Trump initially said the war would last just a few days, but later acknowledged that it could last months. On Friday, the president said only that the war would end when he feels it “in [his] bones.”
Semafor stated it is unclear whether the US might seek to sell or share any of its own interceptors with Israel, which would put a strain on its own supplies.
“We have all that we need to protect our bases and our personnel in the region and our interests,” the US official claimed, adding that Israel is “coming up with solutions to address” their shortage.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told Semafor that the military “has everything it needs to execute any mission at the time and place of” Trump’s choosing.
Semafor also cited a report by CNN, which argued that Iran’s addition of cluster munitions to its missiles may exacerbate the depletion of Israel’s interceptor stock.
Successfully downing one ballistic missile typically requires firing two to four interceptors. When a missile fragments or releases decoys, even more interceptors are used. Some reports suggest up to 12 to 15 interceptors may be needed to shoot down a single sophisticated Iranian missile.
The challenge is becoming more difficult as Iran has been outfitting some of its ballistic missiles with cluster munitions, which are released at high altitude from the head of the missile before raining down over a wide area.
According to CNN, most of Iran’s ballistic missiles carry about 24 bomblets. One, the Khorramshahr, can be equipped with up to 80.
CNN notes that Israel’s missile defenses have successfully intercepted most Iranian ballistic missiles, but have difficulty stopping the bomblets due to their numbers, small size, and the short amount of time to intercept them before they reach the ground.
Israel could then be forced to fire dozens of interceptors to eliminate the threat of a single missile.
“It’s a challenge,” said Tal Inbar, a missile expert and consultant for Israeli defense companies. “The equation between the number of missiles in Iran and the number of interceptors… be it in Israel or Abu Dhabi or Qatar, for example.”
The Times of Israel (TOI) wrote a response to the Semafor report, questioning its claims about an interceptor shortage.
“There is no confirmation of the report, and some of its details did not appear to reflect known aspects of Israel’s interception processes and operations.”
TOI claimed that Iran has only been firing several missiles at Israel per day, and a “critical shortage” would mean Israel would have fewer than ten interceptors remaining.
The Semafor report states that if the US sells or shares any of its own interceptors with Israel, this could put strain on the US’s domestic supplies. However, Israel does not currently use any US air defense systems, TOI stated.
Additionally, the report cited CNN as claiming that Iran’s launch of cluster munitions may exacerbate the depletion of Israel’s interceptor stock, despite Israel’s use of a separate system, the Iron Dome, to shoot down the individual clusters rather than an anti-ballistic missile system.