Television epics – ‘Mahabharata’ and ‘Ramayana’ with the help of computerised graphics brought to life the tactics adopted in warfare long before modern defense systems like the Iron Dome. Throughout the telecast, wherever – whenever war scenes popped up with arrows and bows, it was food for thought. How was it possible to intercept the arrows released by the enemy camp? It raised suspicions. Is it a myth or real? This confused whether the period had software engineers write the code to counter the Aerial Warning System!
The mythology books describe how the highly trained warriors employed various techniques and methods to intercept arrows aimed at them and their armies. They portray the combat skills of soldiers employed for different kinds of job in warfare. The armies had highly skilled professionals to handle various logistics, and only expert warriors were entrusted to blocking, dodging or deflecting incoming arrows.
While the ability to intercept was not common for most soldiers. The soldiers were picked up based on their skills and acumen in archery and fencing. They were further trained and tested under veterans in using swords or other weaponry to defend against the enemy troops. These highly agile and skilled fighters and expert archers were found in every army. The arrows and bows had become important weaponry across the kingdoms.
Indigenous ethnic groups like Assyrians, Egyptians, Hittites, Persians (Cyrus the Great), Parthians and Mongols have employed the techniques for a long time. Whether they had employed the similar ‘software’ used in ‘Mahabharata’ and ‘Ramayana’ is not known but were able to shoot down incoming arrows by firing multiple arrows in different angles. In larger battles, the armies could successfully intercept, counter or clash a dense volley of arrows shot by the opposing side, neutralizing a large chunk released at them.
On Tuesday, in a retaliatory effort, on losing its cadres and officers in Beirut bombings by Israel, Iran launched 181 ballistic missiles at Israel in a span of a few hours. Many were intercepted by Israel’s ‘hit-to-kill’ air defence system. How was this possible? How could they employ the ancient technology adopted in ‘Mahabharata’ or ‘Ramayana’ as seen in serialized episodes on television?
Israel – a small country with a population of 10 million boasts of employing one of the world’s best air defence systems. The ‘hit-to-kill’ technology is called Iron Dome and Arrow missile defence and David’s Cling. What is it? How do they function?
The defence system is activated whenever Israel perceives a threat to the nation by its enemies. They help in protecting the country by intercepting missiles with a multi-layered approach. These interceptors – Arrow -2, Arrow-3 and David’s Sling were designed and developed with the sole objective of countering threats both in and outside the atmosphere, with an eagle eye on Iran. The director of the missile Defence Project at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Tom Karako says, “They proved quite capable.”
This missile system was developed in close consultation with all its weather ally, the US Department of Defence in 2011. Defence experts say, “The system employs hit-to-kill technology, by releasing missiles from truck-mounted AWS warning systems to intercept missiles and shield populated areas from the attacks.”
These air defence systems have easier maneuverability, wherever the forces deem necessary. Defence experts claim, “It has a 90 per cent success rate.” What are Arrow Weapon System (AWS) 2 and Arrow 3, which form a crucial layer of the multi-tier missile defence strategy of Israel, aiming at countering threats like long-range ballistic missiles?
Arrow 2 is an anti-ballistic missile defence system designed to intercept both medium to long-range ballistic missiles outside the Earth’s atmosphere or in the upper atmosphere. It detects, and intercepts ballistic missiles, using radar guidance systems. The AWS can track and lock at altitudes between 40-100 km with a range of approximately 1500 km.
Boeing, Rafael and state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries are the architects behind the AWS. What’s interesting to note is that the interceptor missiles are more expensive than the missiles fired at them. The US Navy Secretary, Carlos Del told the US Senate that his force had spent $1bn to defend Israel in April 2024 when Iran targeted Israel. The innovative Arrow 2, Arrow 3 and David’s Sling (Stunner or SkyCeptor) are home-grown and fine-tuned with the assistance of Boeing and Rafael and Raytheon. The web portal of Rafael claims, “… innovative steering control, multi-propulsion, and an advanced seeker, to defeat high-volume asymmetric threats, including tactical ballistic missiles, especially those carrying weapons of mass destruction.”
Israel’s defence experts say, AWS 2, 3 and SkyCeptor (David’s Sling) aren’t insufficient against the attack of nuclear missiles since their interception altitudes were inside the Earth’s atmosphere, where the blast and radiation from a nuclear explosion could still cause severe damage on the ground.
This means that the Israeli defence is working on interceptors that can destroy nuclear missiles. These SkyCeptors were jointly financed, developed and patented by the US and Israel. Barely six years after they became operational, Israeli press reported they were, “Being exported to Germany in the biggest Israeli defence export deal ever.” But it has its stumbling blocks as it is jointly funded and developed by the US and Israel, Pentagon permission is mandatory to sell its Arrow Missile Defence technology to a third country as both the countries jointly own the programme code and the hardware and the United States has invested billions of dollars through military aid programme to Israel.
For instance, when Poland applied for the purchase of David Sling in 2014, Reuters reported that it was rebuffed by the US government. Instead, the US sold Poland advanced versions of its own Patriot air and missile defence systems. An unnamed Israeli official was quoted by the agency saying, “The involvement of US technologies gives Washington an effective veto over the export of the system… we cannot sell everything we want to.”
Every advanced technology has an inherent disadvantage, realising this principle Iran has employed a variety of strategies and tactics to overcome, bypass or outmanoeuvre Israel’s Iron Dome Missile system by overwhelming it. This is exactly the reason that Iran pumped in over 181 ballistic missiles and rockets simultaneously on Tuesday, aiming to saturate the Iron Dome. This gamble paid off and Iran could strike the intended objects, employing diverse trajectories.
What is that one gained in this bloody warfare? Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982, and threw out the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), killing hundreds of Palestinians taking shelter at refugee camps in Beirut. Occupied southern Lebanon but had to retreat. It invaded Lebanon again in 2006 but was kicked out by Hezbollah. What is that they have learnt – nothing? What is its chief sponsor up to? Nothing is clear. Western media describe Israel as a “Great Survivor is riding high.”
Wars throughout history might have redrawn maps and played a decisive role in shaping supremacy but what is more gruesome is they left a trail of mass deaths, destruction and human suffering for decades.
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