Video shows Israel’s exoatmospheric intercept of Iran missile: What it means

A viral video shows an exoatmospheric missile, fired by Iran, intercepted by Israel when Tehran attacked the Jewish state. So, what is an exoatmospheric missile intercept and how does it work?

In Short

• Missile fired by Iran intercepted with an exoatmospheric kill vehicle by Israel
• Video of exoatmospheric missile intercept goes viral on social media
• US assisted Israel in downing majority of Iranian drones and missiles

As the conflict escalated between Iran and Israel, a video, viral on social media, showing what appears to be an exoatmospheric intercept by Israel.

The missile, fired by Iran, was neutralised outside Earth's atmosphere, pointing to the use of an exoatmospheric kill vehicle by Israel.

Iran launched hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles on Israel, in what is the first-ever direct attack on the Jewish state in response to the April 1 strike on an Iranian diplomatic building in the Syrian capital of Damascus.

President Joe Biden said on Saturday that US forces helped Israel down “nearly all” of the drones and missiles from Iran, as he pledged to convene allies to develop a unified response to Tehran.

“At my direction, to support the defence of Israel, the US military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defence destroyers to the region over the course of the past week,” Biden said in a statement.

AN EXOATMOSPHERIC INTERCEPT?

Israel had deployed a multi-layered air defence system anticipating the attack from Iran for days. Several air defence systems, including the Iron Dome, The Arrow and David’s Sling were all activated.

The video that shows a possible exoatmospheric intercept could have been conducted by The Arrow.

FOLLOW LIVE IRAN-ISRAEL CONFLICT BLOG UPDATES HERE

Developed with the US, Arrow 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.

While there has been no official confirmation, if it is indeed an exoatmospheric intercept, it would come as a big boost for both the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) and the US, which has been working closely on developing the system. Meanwhile, it also indicates a significant jump in technology and advancement for Iran, whose defence and space program has remained under wraps for a long time.

WHAT IS AN EXOATMOSPHERIC MISSILE?

Exoatmosphere, simply defined, means conditions or events that occur outside the Earth's atmosphere. It's often used in the context of space missions, satellites, or weapons systems that operate beyond the atmosphere.

Exoatmospheric missiles, also known as anti-ballistic missiles (ABMs), are designed to intercept and destroy incoming ballistic missiles during the mid-course or terminal phase of their trajectory. They operate beyond the Earth's atmosphere, which presents unique challenges compared to missiles that operate within the atmosphere.

These missiles often employ advanced sensors, such as infrared and radar systems, to detect and track incoming threats. They also use sophisticated guidance systems to accurately manoeuvre and intercept targets travelling at high speeds in space.

There are different types of exoatmospheric missiles, including kinetic kill vehicles, which destroy their targets through physical impact, and directed energy weapons, which use lasers or other energy beams to disable or destroy incoming threats.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The intercept missile, also known as the Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV), uses a three-stage solid rocket booster to propel itself out of Earth's atmosphere at near-hypersonic velocities.

Upon reaching space, the vehicle activates its sophisticated multi-colour sensors and advanced onboard computer to identify and track the incoming target.

Equipped with a rocket motor for precise manoeuvring in the vacuum of space, the anti-ballistic missile navigates towards the target with exceptional accuracy.

Once in proximity, it relies on the force of impact from a high-speed collision to neutralise the threat, eliminating the need for carrying traditional warheads. This makes it lightweight, fast and more accurate.

Published By:
Prateek Chakraborty
Published On:
Apr 14, 2024