The IDF announced on Thursday that its most sophisticated air defense shield, the Arrow 3 system, has for the first time ever successfully intercepted a missile in a real-life situation, downing a missile aimed at Eilat, Israel’s southernmost city. According to the Israel Defense Forces and the Defense Ministry, the Arrow 3 missile detected and destroyed a surface-to-surface missile over the Red Sea, which was reportedly launched from Yemen. This event marks a significant milestone as it is the inaugural operational use of the Arrow 3 missile in an actual combat scenario, as well as its first successful interception. The system had previously been tested in controlled conditions, but this incident demonstrates its operational effectiveness in a real-world situation. Earlier intercepts of hostile projectiles, including a Houthi ballistic missile from Yemen and a long-range rocket from Gaza in recent weeks, were neutralized by the Arrow 2 missile, an earlier version of Israel’s missile defense technology. Introduced into service in 2017, the Arrow 3 system is a cornerstone of Israel’s multi-layered defense network and is specifically engineered to engage ballistic missiles at high altitudes, beyond the Earth’s atmosphere. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)