Israel Intercepts Syrian Missile Fired at IAF Fighter Jet With Arrow-3 After Bombing Inside Syria

So I thought this was interesting. Syrians finally fired at the fighter jets that routinely cross the border to attack them. After bombing some targets inside Syria, SAA activates their anti-air defenses and locked on to an IAF jet which followed it across the border back into Israel. The Arrow-3 defense system was used however to successfully intercept it somewhere over the Jordan Valley.

JPost
Israel used its Arrow-3 missile defense system for the first time on Thursday night after Israeli jets were targeted with Syrian anti-aircraft missiles during an operation over the war-torn country.

In a rare confirmation of Israel carrying out airstrikes in Syria, the IDF said on Friday morning that “several anti-aircraft missiles were launched from Syria during the operation. One of the missiles was intercepted by the air defense systems of the IDF.”
A Reuters witness in the central Israeli city of Modiin reported hearing an explosion and a more distant bang was heard from as far away as Jerusalem.

Israeli journalists have posted photos and video of the wreckage of the anti-aircraft missile:

Well then, just another day in the cradle of civilization I guess. A little bit more about the Arrow-3 defense system. This makes Israel one of a handful of states that can also attack and destroy targets in space.

It wasn't an F-35 was it?

a reply to: worldstarcountry

Thursday night after Israeli jets were targeted with Syrian anti-aircraft missiles during an operation over the war-torn country.

Good, about time. Those were probably Russian missiles, probably not manned by them though.

The price of Humanitarian Interventions just went up.

Edit: another daytime video in here...

Twitter

Oh vey goys they are shooting at us and we are helping fight "our war" I mean your war for greater israel opps did I say israel? I mean american interests in the middle east. Anyway our anti missile defense totally works goys and so we would like your government aid shekels to buy planes but we dont really need your planes at the price listed because of our super duper non goy invented anti missile system.


Lol all computer generated ahahaha sure put out some non cgi video footage of it working in testing like we did with our laser system.

a reply to: worldstarcountry

There's speculation starting to make the rounds that the reality is a bit different than Israel is saying. Arrow wasn't designed to intercept surface to air missiles, and the system wouldn't have seen an SA-5 as a threat requiring a launch.

FWIW, the Syrian government is claiming it shot down one of the Israeli fighters.

originally posted by: AndyFromMichigan
FWIW, the Syrian government is claiming it shot down one of the Israeli fighters.

That is what they are claiming pretty much every time they get bombed by Israeli fighters.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Would this be speculation which you could share Zaphod? Is taking place in the real world or online sites/forums.. if online, is it something we could get a link to?

~Winter

The Hammers pound the nail.


"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/69_Squadron_(Israel)"
(The link won't connect properly)



We are poor little lambs who have lost our way.....
Baa, baa, baa

Buck

a reply to: Winterpain

This is the best public record I've found.

Israeli media are reporting that the Arrow intercepted an SA-5 surface-to-air missile, or SAM, and indeed it is logical that Syria’s air defense system launched against the intruding Israeli fighters in an attempt to down the planes. But given that the Israeli attack was hundreds of kilometers away from Israeli territory, why would Israel launch Arrow, which is intended to defend the homeland? The SA-15 or any other Syrian or even Russian SAM would not have posed a threat within Israel.

And in any case, Arrow is not designed to intercept SAMs. Such anti-air missiles are not part of the system’s database, which automatically tracks trajectories and predicts impact points of incoming ballistic missiles. Once fired, an SA-5 with its four strap-on boosters create five targets in the air, all of which appear as tumbling objects whose trajectories — unlike those of ballistic missiles — are practically impossible to predict.

www.defensenews.com...

a reply to: Winterpain

debka.com...

a reply to: moebius

They have only made this claim twice as far as I can remember. This one, and late last year when they claimed to shoot down a jet and drone. However, images or video would be nice evidence to confirm their claims. As of yet I see none.

Personally, it makes more sense that if the missile was intercepted, it was done by the Iron Dome or arrow 1 or 2??? Arrow 3 appears to be a weapon that takes down its targets in space/atmosphere.

a reply to: worldstarcountry

I'd be surprised if any of them were used to shoot down a SAM.

a reply to: Zaphod58

you don't think Iron Dome could have done it??? They use Patriots right??

a reply to: Zaphod58

So they cant adjust the Arrows to intercept SAMs? arent they essentially a Land based SEAram derivitive that is designed to take on missiles? Or a variation of the SA/3 block 3?

Anyway logic would dictate you set it to not go after the tumbling decoys and go for the straight line heat source.

a reply to: yuppa

Why? Unless you're sitting practically on top of where the SAM site is, there's no point in having a system to go after them. Even a long range SAM isn't going to be a threat to a large area. If you were going to go after them, all anyone would have to do is start popping off SAMs and get you to fire off all your interceptors, then start launching missiles while you try to reload.

a reply to: worldstarcountry

The problem with intercepting a SAM is the range and interception time. With a ballistic missile you have time while it boosts, then steers towards the target. It takes time for it to accelerate to full speed, and cover that distance. A SAM is generally used at fairly short range, and is significantly faster. It comes off the launcher almost supersonic already, where a missile like a Scud will take 30-45 seconds, or more to get up to speed.

There just isn't a lot of time for an interception system to see, track, launch and the missile to get there. Add in that the aircraft it was launched at is going to be maneuvering, which will cause the missile to maneuver to try to follow the aircraft, and you make the interception significantly harder than it's already going to be.

a reply to: Zaphod58

what do you make of those videos from the twitter links allegedly showing the empty tube?? Could it be possible they were intercepting something else, and not the SAM???? Perhaps this story is a ruse to cover up the fact that maybe Israel was under attack??

a reply to: worldstarcountry

The odds are actually pretty good in my opinion that what they actually intercepted was a ballistic missile, and not a SAM. But if they come out and say that it was, it backs people into a corner. If they pretend it was a SAM, everyone can overlook it.

I have heard the theory on ground today that Israel was attacked by the Syrian army because of the fact that they once again Attacken their territory. They did say few months ago that they would not tolarate it anymore. Maybe then did shoot off a ballistic missle and Israel is not ready to wage war with them that's why they are covering it up. a reply to: worldstarcountry