Israel Says Iran Missile Attacks Show It Needs Far More Interceptors

Multiple rounds of fighting with Iran led Israeli officials to conclude the country needs significantly more ballistic missile interceptors than previously expected. Moshe Patel, director and general manager of the Israeli Missile Defense Organization, said past assumptions about sustaining defenses in a high-intensity conflict have been discarded. His takeaway was direct: the focus is now on producing more interceptors to fill stockpiles.

Patel described the effort as “a race” against enemies with high production capacity. Israel’s defense ministry said in early April it plans to accelerate Arrow interceptor production, though it did not provide figures.

Israel’s leading ballistic missile defense system is Arrow, which uses a two-stage solid-fueled interceptor developed by Israel Aerospace Industries and Boeing. Arrow 2, deployed in 2000, can eliminate missiles in the upper atmosphere, while Arrow 3, deployed in 2017, can eliminate missiles in space.

Israel is also developing next-generation Arrow 4 and 5 interceptors. The system has been used extensively over the past three years, including during four rounds of fighting with Iran in which it battled hundreds of ballistic missiles.

Israel’s ramp-up comes as ballistic missile interceptors are in high demand worldwide, especially those for the US-made Patriot air defense system. The article notes that global stockpiles were already under stress, and Middle East air defense battles have added pressure.

The US military and defense industrial base are trying to ease those strains by dramatically increasing Patriot interceptor production. For Israel, the broader lesson is that missile defense readiness now depends not only on performance, but also on sustained production capacity.

Israel has used data from each fight with Iran to refine its ballistic missile defense approach. Patel said each clash forced a different reaction, from roughly 100 missiles at once in April 2024 to an even larger salvo in October 2024, waves during the 12-Day War in June 2025, and a longer most recent conflict.

Israel maintained an interception rate of over 90% during recent combat operations, according to the article. Patel said each interception is reviewed with the US, and that the lessons from recent fighting will serve for “many, many years.”