Israel’s air-launched ballistic missiles against Iran
Weapon’s speed and moving launch point make it more resistant to air defenses than its ground-based counterparts and the cruise missiles used by most major powers, experts say
Israel’s effective use of air-launched ballistic missiles in its response to Iran’s latest missile attack is expected to pique interest elsewhere in acquiring the weapons which most major powers have avoided in favor of cruise missiles and glide bombs
The Israel Defense Forces IDF said its October 26 raid knocked out Iranian missile factories and air defenses in three waves of strikes, in retaliation for Iran’s massive barrage of ballistic missiles that sent millions of Israelis into bomb shelters on October 1
Based on satellite imagery, researchers said targets of the Israeli strike included buildings once used in Iran’s nuclear program
Tehran defends such targets with “a huge variety” of anti-aircraft systems, said Justin Bronk, an airpower and technology expert at London’s Royal United Services Institute
Cruise missiles are easier targets for dense, integrated air defenses than ballistic missiles are but ballistic missiles are often fired from known launch points and most cannot change course in flight
