[kingaero2]

Space is 100km

[WonderMomma]

Originally Posted by WonderMomma ↗

"First time in history: Israel shot down a ballistic missile in space - The Telegraph.

Article: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-ne...space-houthis/

How Israel shot down a ballistic missile in space for the first time
Arrow missile-defence system took out rocket fired from Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen outside of Earth’s atmosphere

By
Harriet Barber
5 November 2023 • 5:14pm

Israel this week used its Arrow missile-defence system to shoot down a ballistic missile outside of Earth’s atmosphere, in what is believed to be the first combat ever to take place in space.

The ballistic missile was launched from Yemen by the Iran-backed Houthis, and flew almost 1,000 miles over the Arabian peninsula on the way to its target, the Israeli port city of Eilat.

While the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has released few details about the interception, the Air Force is known to operate several batteries of the Arrow 2 system, which uses a hypersonic interceptor to take out incoming missiles in space.

The Israeli defence ministry released a video showing the moment of interception, with the faint cylindrical shape of the incoming ballistic missile barely visible in the false-colour image, before an explosion smears across the screen.

In a statement, the IDF said that air force systems tracked the missile’s trajectory and intercepted it “at the most appropriate operational time and location”.

Photographs from Eilat showed a trail of smoke from the Arrow interceptor, while residents reported hearing a large explosion from the ground.

Yemen’s Houthis also released footage purporting to show the missile being launched as part of a barrage of drones and other long-ranged weapons aimed at Israeli towns and cities.

The ballistic missile, which was fired on Monday, is said to have been a Qader missile – an improved version of the Iranian-designed Shahab 3.

At more than 50-feet long, the Qader carries a high-explosive warhead and has a range that puts all of Israel in striking distance of the Houthis, which have now declared war on Israel and are a key part of the Iran-backed alliance set against the country.

It is precisely the threat that Israel’s Arrow system, first deployed some 25 years ago, was designed to counter.

A joint US-Israeli project, Arrow sprang from the need to give Israel a way to defend itself after Israeli cities were hit by Iraqi Scud missiles during the first Gulf War.

Where other missile-defence systems were originally meant to shoot down aircraft and had to be adapted to the job of shooting down longer-range ballistic missiles at much higher altitudes and speeds, Arrow was the first to be designed specifically for that task.

‘Proof Israel has ability to act against Iran missile program’
The system had previously been used in 2017 to shoot down a Syrian S-200 surface-to-air missile which missed an Israeli warplane and was heading towards an Israeli town. But Monday’s interception was the first time that it was used for its original purpose.

“The successful interception is about much more than protecting the residents of Eilat and dealing a blow to the Houthis’ boastfulness,” an Israeli defence official said. “Primarily, it proves to Iran, which was behind the launch and supplied the missile, that Israel has the ability to act against its missile program, and this has much broader implications for the regional conflict.”

Since the October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel, and Israel’s subsequent bombardment of Gaza, the Houthis have launched drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles at Israel on four occasions.

The Houthis have vowed there would be more such attacks “to help the Palestinians to victory”.

[kellyhound]

Houthi Missile Sources

[SDI]

Wounder how long Iran might use its proxy forces like this, until Israel + US have finally enough. They're destabilizing the whole region. I bet the missile launch personnel isn't even Houthi, but disguised Iranian revolutionary guards or something.

The case of Saudi Arabia is also strange. Its a sunni country, almost totally encircled by Irans shia proxy forces. If I'd be the Saudi king (or whatever), I would be concerned and do something about it. Instead they seem to align themselves with Palestinians (=Hamas = Iran).

[hypnotoad]

Well it took long enough, but it finally happened

STAR WARS.

[scorpion9]

Originally Posted by WonderMomma ↗

Article: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-ne...space-houthis/

How Israel shot down a ballistic missile in space for the first time
The ballistic missile, which was fired on Monday, is said to have been a Qader missile – an improved version of the Iranian-designed Shahab 3.

Pretty good achievement.

Just mentioning as an FYI: Space isnt actually that "far". Go 50 miles up and you are considered to be in space. Also, going to "space" isn't really that difficult, staying there and achieving orbital velocity is.
Just for reference, Felix Baumgartner went up half way to space with just a balloon. I'd also mention that the height isnt really that big of a problem for AA missiles, since they carry their own oxidizer and don't need much atmosphere anyways. It's mostly the speed of the incoming missile that makes the interception difficult.

re: "missile being Qader" - according to quick googling, Qader is an anti ship missle that flies low and close to the ground. I wonder if its a modified version then?

[SDI]

GoPro Hamas terrorists shooting at a civilian car. At 0.26 you see one Israeli running away, probably escaping into the bushes, fate unknown. End especially brutal with that finisher. They indeed show no mercy.

Another snipped from Nova. Locating bodies under the stage.

Also Nova. Terrorists attacking an air shelter with hand grenades. The channel owners wrote inside was a woman which threw the grenades back outside. Thats what you see here. Theres another vid where you see them shooting at her with AK's, then the grenades nuked the shelter and alomost everyone inside.

[scorpion9]

Originally Posted by APPIIII ↗

If the war is in space now, I'd imagine the IDF already has a plan to shoot down starlinks if Hamas starts using them to talk with eachother

Nah,

Shooting down sattelites is a big no-no for all the countries in the world. Space is pretty much considered an international non-military zone and anything that could trigger the Kessler syndrome will trigger global backlash to whoever is messing around in space.

Shooting down starlink sattelites would also be a bit useless since there are just so many of them up already and there is no single sattelite dedicated for Israel. You would have to destroy a whole constellation of sattelites. Even worse, Starlink is a strategic asset of the United States( strong ally of Israel ), so, attacking the strategic asset of an ally to cut the internet for Hamas is just not worth it.

On top of that, Hamas doesnt need sattelite connection anyways.
The area they operate in is so small that regular radio connection is good enough, plus, sattelite connection wont reach the underground tunnels either.

[kellyhound]

Originally Posted by SDI ↗

The case of Saudi Arabia is also strange. Its a sunni country, almost totally encircled by Irans shia proxy forces. If I'd be the Saudi king (or whatever), I would be concerned and do something about it. Instead they seem to align themselves with Palestinians (=Hamas = Iran).

Don't think they (the government) align themselves with Palestinians/Hamas/Iran.
According to this author: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20...-about-israel/
Plus https://www.foreignaffairs.com/middl...s-saudi-arabia

Saudi hopes for regional stability in the pursuit of economic development were shattered on October 7. Riyadh has little love for Hamas, which created the crisis.

The Saudis feared and opposed the political gains made by Muslim Brotherhood affiliates in Egypt, Tunisia, and elsewhere during the Arab Spring; Hamas is the Palestinian branch of the Brotherhood.

On the other hand, the Saudis cannot be seen as standing aside (or worse yet, continuing to negotiate with Israel) as the Israelis pummel Palestinians in Gaza. Riyadh has an interest in ending the fighting and making progress toward a peaceful settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian issue but has few levers that it can or will use to advance that goal right now.

[Poster101]

Just a quick post about our infamous Gaza reporter. Looks like he plays lots of different roles. He also plays a pretty despicable part telling civilians not to travel south and to stay and die in their homes. Dude must work for HAMAS