Iron Dome, The Arrow, David's Sling: How Israel's air defence system thwarted Iranian missile onslaught

Iran attacks Israel.

In a serious escalation of regional tensions in the Middle East, Iran on Saturday launched hundreds of missiles on Israel as part of its retaliation to a suspected Israeli air strike on its consulate in Damascus on April 1.

However, the wide-scale attack did little damage to Israel due to its advanced air defence systems, which managed to thwart the missiles with a 99 per cent interception rate.

Iran-Israel tensions: Live updates

An Israeli military spokesman said the launches numbered more than 300 but 99% of them were intercepted.

Calling the outcome “a very significant strategic success,” Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Iran fired 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles. Of those, several ballistic missiles reached Israeli territory, causing minor damage to an air base.

Israel's multi-layered air defence system

Israel has one of the most advanced air defence systems in the world, which help protect itself from regional aggression. The defence system, with assistance from US and Britain, is credited with preventing serious damage or casualties. Here's a close look at the multi-layered system:

The Arrow: This system developed with US is designed to intercept long-range missiles, including the types of ballistic missiles Iran said it launched on Saturday. The Arrow, which operates outside the atmosphere, has been used in the current war to intercept long-range missiles launched by Houthi militants in Yemen.

David's Sling: Also developed with the U.S., the David's Sling is meant to intercept medium-range missiles, such as those possessed by Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Patriot: This American-made system is the oldest member of Israel's missile-defense system used during the First Gulf War in 1991 to intercept Scud missiles fired by Iraq's leader at the time, Saddam Hussein. The Patriot is now used to shoot down aircraft, including drones.

Iron Dome: This system, developed by Israel with U.S. backing, specializes in shooting down short-range rockets. It has intercepted thousands of rockets since it was activated early last decade including thousands of interceptions during the current war against Hamas and Hezbollah. Israel says it has a success rate of over 90%.

Iron Beam: Israel is developing a new system to intercept incoming threats with laser technology. Israel has said this system will be a game changer because it is much cheaper to operate than existing systems. However, it is not yet operational.

(With inputs from AP)