Israel is facing a shortage of Arrow missile interceptors, raising concerns over its capacity to counter long-range ballistic attacks from Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing a senior US official.
The Jerusalem Post has reached out to the IDF and other sources for comment but cannot verify this report at this time.
According to the report, the US has been aware of the issue for several months and has taken steps to bolster Israel’s missile defense systems by deploying additional US assets across multiple domains – land, sea, and air.
Since the beginning of Operation Rising Lion, the US Defense Department has increased the number of missile defense systems stationed in the region. However, the growing volume of intercept operations has raised alarm in Washington over the sustainability of US stocks as well.
“Neither the US nor the Israelis can continue to sit and intercept missiles all day,” said Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “The Israelis and their friends need to move with all deliberate haste to do whatever needs to be done, because we cannot afford to sit and play catch.”
Israel Aerospace Industries, the manufacturer of the Arrow system, did not respond to requests for comment.
In a statement, the IDF said: “The IDF is prepared and ready to handle any scenario. Unfortunately, we are unable to comment on matters related to munitions.”
This is a developing story.