US Navy: Ballistic Missile Defence for Israel

During the massive Iranian attack on Israel on the night of 13 to 14 April 2024 with around 170 drones, 120 ballistic missiles and 30 cruise missiles, it was not only the Israeli Iron Dome air defence system that proved its effectiveness. Allies and neighbouring states have also intervened to support the fight. These included the two US destroyers ARLEIGH BURKE (DDG 51) and CARNEY (DDG 64), which operated long-range ballistic missile defence (BMD) in the eastern Mediterranean for the first time. As one of the US reinforcement units for Operation Prosperity Guardian in the Red Sea, the CARNEY had already been successfully combating dozens of drones and missiles fired by Houthi militias against civilian shipping for a month. With the type ship of this destroyer class, it is one of the first and oldest units, but after its conversion and upgrade with state-of-the-art BMD capability, it is one of the US Navy's most suitable units for this complex task. The Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System programme comprises the modernisation of the Aegis combat system and the integration of the SM-3, SM-2ER and SM-6 interceptor missiles as well as the RIM-116 SeaRAM short-range defence system and the AN/SLQ-32(V)6 electronic warfare suite. In this case, it will have been the SM-3s that were able to intercept between four and six ballistic missiles launched from Iranian missile bases in very high airspace for the first time in combat. Although the SM-6s are also capable of destroying ballistic and hypersonic missiles, they can only achieve this in the final stages of the approach due to their shorter range.

In a live attack scenario, defence against high-flying ballistic missiles for national and alliance defence (ballistic missile defence) - mobile and deployable over long distances - carried out from the sea. A strategic defence function in marginal seas - is that how it was perceived in Berlin and Brussels? There is no simpler way to explain BMD!