Composite Drones and Hypersonic Missiles Defeat the West’s Most Advanced Air Defence

A new era of warfare...

Iran’s ‘True Promise 2”, which deliberately avoided any Israeli casualties, was intended to send a message to Netanyahu’s coalition government — we have the capability to penetrate your air defences — meaning Iran can strike any target inside Israel.

More than two weeks later, we now learn, Iran’s missile strike destroyed a mobile X-band radar complex near Israel's Nevatim airbase. This radar is normally part of the US advanced Terminal High Altitude Air Defence system (THAAD).

Simply put Iranian hypersonic missiles render America’s most advanced air defence system worthless.

To add to Israel’s military setbacks, on Sunday evening, a Hezbollah drone struck an army base housing their elite Golani brigade inflicting dozens of casualties. Counterintuitively, it was another powerful deterrent message to prevent further escalation.

As political analyst Gilbert Doctorow notes —

Everyone knows that the Israeli defence did not detect the incoming drones. They didn’t detect it. And that’s quite stunning. They have one of the best, if not the best, air defense systems in the world. Now, why did that happen?…

This was not detected by Israel because it is not detectable on radar. It has almost no metal parts. It’s made entirely of composites. The same sort of approach that the United States used in creating its stealth bombers, composites. The result is, there was nothing for radar to see, and it didn’t see it. That is the really striking development which should send shudders up the spine of Israel’s military leaders, the same way as the October 1st Iranian strike should have them all in great panic.

Therefore, we have to ask how exactly did Hezbollah get this latest development of Russian drone warfare? Were they given it by Russians? Did they learn somehow the secrets of this production? Who knows? The point is Hezbollah has it now. And that really is a game changer in the war and their coming war with Israel. They can attack anywhere in Israel, unseen.

Despite this Netanyahu is willing to risk all, to provoke a regional war in order to rally the U.S. and Europe to fight on Israel’s behalf. By going for broke Netanyahu’s coalition government is betting everything on a comprehensive victory, against increasingly capable neighbours. The military odds are dismal, regardless of potential American and European direct involvement.

This week Washington delivered a THAAD battery to Israel. The 94 US technicians that will operate America’s most advanced missile defence system inside Israel, will now serve as a tripwire against another Iranian missile strike. Meaning, if US troops are killed by an Iranian strike on Israel , Washington will respond.

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