Israel’s sophisticated Arrow anti-missile system has scored its first hit, taking down a surface-to-air missile fired from Syria, according to media reports.
(FOX)- The Jerusalem Post reports that the Arrow interceptor was used for the first time after Israeli fighter jets were targeted with Syrian anti-aircraft missiles during an operation over Syria.
Newspaper Haaretz said the interception took place north of Jerusalem. Israeli Channel 10 TV reports the Israeli military had been on a mission to destroy a weapons convoy destined for the Lebanese Hezbollah group, which is backed by Iran and fights alongside Syrian government forces.
Arrow provides the top layer of the country’s complex aerial defense system. Whereas the country’s Iron Dome system deals with short-range threats such as rockets, and David’s Sling is designed to tackle midrange threats, Arrow can take out targets outside Earth’s atmosphere.
Each Arrow-3 rocket is estimated to cost about $2.2 million, according to Haaretz. The project is co-managed by Israel’s Missile Defense Organization and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency.