Israel Starts Facing Arrow Missile Shortage — WSJ

Israel is facing a critical shortage of Arrow anti-ballistic missiles, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing an unnamed U.S. government official.

The source claims that the current stockpile of Arrow missiles is insufficient to sustain high-volume interceptions if the conflict continues for much longer.

In response, the U.S. military is deploying additional missile defense assets to Israel, including the THAAD system and naval forces equipped with SM-3 and SM-6 interceptors.

“Neither the U.S. nor the Israelis can sit around and intercept missiles all day long,” Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), noted.

Another concern is the strain on the U.S. interceptor inventory. Sources told the WSJ that the production of SM-3 missiles currently stands at just 20–25 units per year, which is too slow to match operational demand.

Israeli officials have not publicly commented on the reported missile shortage. Instead, the Israel Defense Forces stated that roughly 40% of Iranian ballistic missile launchers have been destroyed, which has helped reduce the volume of incoming attacks.

According to Western media, including Reuters, Iran has launched more than 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, with interception rates of 80–90%. Despite the high interception success rate, some missiles have struck their targets.

Despite defensive efforts, the strike on Tel Aviv caused extensive damage to civilian infrastructure.

Amid the ongoing threat, the U.S. continues to reinforce Israel’s missile defense capabilities. The destroyer USS Thomas Hudner is en route to the eastern Mediterranean to join the USS Arleigh Burke and USS The Sullivans.

The additional destroyer is expected to enhance Israel’s missile shield and expand the U.S. strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz.

Militarnyi previously reported that the Israel Defense Forces claimed to have destroyed one-third of the Iranian ballistic missile launchers that targeted its territory.