Israel uses “non-designed” air defence systems to intercept Iranian missiles, Hebrew media reports

An Israeli television channel reported on Tuesday evening that Israel has begun using air defence systems not originally designed to intercept Iranian missiles, amid growing challenges to its interception capabilities.

Channel 13 said the Israeli army is relying on US-made interception systems, alongside lower-tier defence systems such as “David’s Sling”, to intercept some missiles, even though these systems were not initially intended to deal with such threats, unlike more advanced systems such as “Arrow 3”.

The report comes as air defence systems face increasing pressure due to the intensity and variety of attacks.

According to the channel, the Israeli government did not fund the establishment of an additional production line for interceptor missiles due to financial disputes between the defence and finance ministries, despite warnings from security officials about the need to boost production.

It added that delays in allocating resources prevented the expansion of manufacturing capacity in time, noting that increased production only began at the start of this year after new infrastructure was developed.

In a related development, the report said debts owed by the Israeli government to military industry companies have been rising, due to delays in payments for equipment and systems already delivered.