Israel’s Missile Defense Against Iran Attack Estimated to Cost Over $1 Billion

 

Iran said its response to the Israeli bombing of its consulate was 'limited'

by Dave DeCamp April 14, 2024 at 1:02 pm ET 

CategoriesNewsTagsIran, Israel

The activation of Israeli air defenses in response to an overnight Iranian drone and missile attack likely cost over $1 billion, according to Brig. Gen. Reem Aminoach, former financial advisor to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) chief of staff.

The Iranian attack, which came in response to Israel bombing Iran’s consulate in Damascus, led to Israel activating several types of air defense systems, including the Arrow, David’s Sling, and the Iron Dome.

“If we’re talking about ballistic missiles that need to be brought down with an Arrow system, cruise missiles that need to be brought down with other missiles, and UAVs, which we actually bring down mainly with airplanes—then add up the costs—$3.5 million for an Arrow missile, $1 million for a David’s Sling, and such and such costs for airplanes. An order of magnitude of 4-5 billion shekels ($1-1.3 billion),” Aminoach told Ynet.

The US, the UK, and Jordan also helped Israel intercept drones. Israel claimed that 99% of the over 300 missiles and drones fired by Iran were intercepted, but some got through and damaged the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel. Only one person was reported injured by the attack on Israel, a seven-year-old Bedouin girl who was hit with shrapnel, and no one was killed.

For the Iranian side, launching the attacks cost significantly less than Israel’s defense. According to Middle East Eye, some estimates put the number at less than 10% of what it cost Israel to defend itself from the attack.

On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said the Iranian attack on Israel was “limited” and said it only targeted military sites. “We sent a message early this morning to the White House and stated that this was a limited operation with minimum force only to secure our rights on legitimate defense and to punish the Israeli regime,” he said.

Amirabdollahian added that the military base Iran targeted hosted F-35s, which Israel used to target Iran’s consulate in Damascus on April 1. The Israeli bombing of a diplomatic facility was a huge escalation in its targeting of Iranians in the region. It killed six Syrians and seven members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including a senior Quds Force commander and another general.

https://news.antiwar.com/2024/04/14/israels-missile-defense-against-iran-attack-estimated-to-cost-over-1-billion/