“JERUSALEM -- Israel has begun rationing its use of high-end missile interceptors, hoping to preserve stocks of its most capable defensive weapons in the face of Iranian barrages that haven't let up through four weeks of war.
A pair of Iranian ballistic missiles recently scored direct hits on two towns after Israel failed to intercept them with modified versions of less advanced munitions.
Israel faced another bombardment Thursday.
Israel has successfully made heavy use of its top-of-the-line Arrow interceptors to shoot down ballistic missiles so far in the war and in the conflict with Iran last June. It recently has been using upgraded versions of its David's Sling system, which was designed to shoot down rockets and shorter-range ballistic missiles, to intercept bigger and longer-range varieties -- with mixed results.
The decision to use less-capable munitions reflects the pressure militaries across the region are under as they burn through expensive, difficult-to-manufacture weapons to fend off attacks from Iran's missiles and drones.
The U.S. and Israel have knocked out much of Iran's capability to fire missiles but not all of it, turning the war in part into a race to see which side runs out first. "The number of interceptors of every type is finite," said Tal Inbar, a senior analyst at the U.S.-based Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance. "As the fighting goes on, it goes down. And as it goes down, you have to make more careful calculations about what to use."
With every incoming missile, officials must decide whether to let it fall in unoccupied areas or shoot it down, and if so with what system. They also have to consider preserving stockpiles to cover threats that could arise.
Israel's multilayered air-defense system, much of which it developed alongside the U.S., uses different munitions designed to confront different types of threats.
On the lower tier is the Iron Dome, used to shoot down short-range rockets at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars per interceptor, followed by David's Sling, which can be used against long-range rockets, tactical ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.
At the upper tier is the Arrow 3, which intercepts long-range ballistic missiles that leave the Earth's atmosphere and is among the best antimissile munitions in the world. An earlier version known as Arrow 2 is still used for medium- to long-range missile threats.
Israel entered the current conflict with stocks of its Arrow interceptors diminished by the war in June.
Israel has tried to give itself more options with modifications including software updates that make its lower-tier interceptors more capable of handling threats from longer-range missiles.
David's Sling went through a series of upgrades before the war to expand its range. "We are trying to stretch it to the upper tier and distance the interception from the ground as much as possible," said Ran Kochav, a brigadier general in the reserves and former commander of Israel's air and missile defense forces. "It works well in some areas, and in others it doesn't."
Iron Dome, which was developed to intercept rockets at a range of about 45 miles, also has been upgraded and is now used to shoot down missiles and longer-range rockets and drones. "Today, it intercepts rockets at a range of hundreds of kilometers as well as UAVs," Kochav said.
"This is not over," said Ahmadiel Ben Yehuda, 69, who lives near a blast site. "We're reminded every few hours with warnings on the phone and new sirens and blasts."” [1]
1. World News: Israel Rations Interceptors --- Military is turning to upgraded versions of lesser alternatives as supply dwindles. Peled, Anat. Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 28 Mar 2026: A8.
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