10 — Reference

The Arsenal

Behind every alert in this dataset is a physical object: a pipe rocket welded in a Gaza workshop, a Soviet-designed Katyusha, a Shahed drone droning at 185 km/h, or a six-tonne ballistic missile arriving from Iran at two kilometres per second. This is a field guide to all of them — what they are, how far they fly, what they carry, and what it costs to shoot them down. A $500 Qassam can force a $50,000 interceptor shot; Iran's June 2025 barrage cost it an estimated $1–6 billion, and defending against it cost more.

$300–800

Cost of one Qassam rocket

$40–100k

Cost of one Iron Dome interceptor

~$12M

Cost of one THAAD interceptor

~$5

Cost of one Iron Beam laser shot

Cost asymmetry is the arithmetic of this war: attackers spend hundreds; defenders spend thousands to millions per interception. Sources: JINSA (2025), CSIS Missile Threat.

The Hangar

Every system, to silhouette

Schematic side profiles of each system, smallest to longest-ranged per front. Hover for the quick stats; click to jump to its full entry below.

Silhouettes are stylised by weapon class — illustrative, not engineering drawings.

The Duel

Fire one. Then fire eighty.

Pick a system and launch it at the deepest target it can reach — watch the trajectory, the interceptor rising to meet it, and the bill both sides run up. Then stack the salvo: interception rates that look unbeatable at ×1 start leaking at ×80, which is the whole logic of saturation barrages.

Illustrative simulation, not a model: intercept rates are anchored to publicly reported figures (~90%+ single-threat claims, ~86–90% across the June 2025 barrages), costs to the documented estimates above — * marks class-level cost estimates. Trajectories and timings are schematic; real flight times shown in the readout.

Reach

How far each system can fly

Maximum documented range of every system, on a logarithmic scale — from mortars that cross the fence to missiles that cross the Middle East. Reference lines mark real distances to Tel Aviv.

Bar = documented range envelope (log scale). Hover for detail. Distances to Tel Aviv are approximate straight-line figures.

Gaza — Hamas & PIJ

8 systems

Qassam family

Qassam-1/2/3 · al-Qassam rocket

Classartillery rocket

Range3–16 km

Warhead5–20 kg

Guidanceunguided

Est. cost / round$300–$800

First used vs Israel2001 (first launches; first deep hit on Sderot 2002)

Warhead: Improvised HE (scavenged TNT / urea-nitrate fertilizer mixes) packed with shrapnel; earliest Qassam-1 carried under 1 kg, typical later rounds 5-10 kg, Qassam-3 up to ~20 kg.

In action: October 7, 2023: 2,200-5,000 rockets (largely Qassam/Grad types plus mortars) fired from Gaza in the opening ~20-30 minutes — the largest rocket barrage ever fired at Israel.

The archetypal Gaza rocket: made in workshops from pipe steel and fertilizer, wildly inaccurate but launched in enormous numbers. Its sub-$1,000 cost against ~$50,000 Iron Dome interceptors is the classic cost-asymmetry example. Sources: [1] [2] [3]

122mm Grad

Katyusha · BM-21 Grad

Classartillery rocket

Range20–40 km

Warhead18–30 kg

Guidanceunguided (spin/fin stabilized)

First used vs IsraelKatyusha fire from Lebanon since the 1970s; Grad-type fire from Gaza documented from 2006-2008

Warhead: HE-fragmentation; standard rounds ~18-21 kg, extended-range and Hezbollah variants documented up to ~30 kg.

In action: 2006 Lebanon war: Hezbollah fired 3,970-4,228 rockets in 34 days, ~95% of them 122mm Katyushas. November 24, 2024: ~250 projectiles from Lebanon in one day. The workhorse of Gaza barrages incl. May 2021 (4,360 rockets in 11 days).

The single most-fired weapon family behind Israel's red-alert sirens across every front — Hamas, PIJ and Hezbollah all use the same Soviet-designed 122mm round. Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4]

Mortars (60/81/120mm)

mortar bombs

Classmortar

Range1–9 km

Warheadundisclosed

Guidanceunguided

First used vs IsraelEarly 2000s (Second Intifada, from Gaza)

Warhead: Standard HE-fragmentation mortar bombs; a 120mm bomb weighs ~13-16 kg with a few kg of explosive fill.

In action: October 7, 2023: IDF counted ~3,000 rockets and mortar bombs fired in the first four hours; mortars blanketed Gaza-envelope communities throughout the war.

The shortest-range threat in the dataset: too fast and low for many Iron Dome engagements close to the fence, mortars caused a large share of casualties in Gaza-border communities in 2014 and 2023. Sources: [1] [2]

M-75

M75

Classheavy artillery rocket

Range75–80 km

Warheadundisclosed

Guidanceunguided

First used vs IsraelNovember 2012 (Operation Pillar of Defense — first rockets to reach Tel Aviv and Jerusalem)

Warhead: Fajr-5-class HE warhead; exact weight not reliably documented.

In action: Fired at Tel Aviv/Jerusalem in small numbers in Nov 2012; mass-employed alongside J-80/R-160-class rockets in 2014, May 2021 and from October 7, 2023.

The M-75 marked Hamas's leap from border-area rockets to holding metropolitan Tel Aviv at risk with an indigenized Iranian design. Hamas even released a perfume called 'M75' to celebrate it. Sources: [1] [2]

Fajr-5

Fadjr-5

Classheavy artillery rocket

Range~75 km

Warhead90–175 kg

Guidanceunguided (a later Iranian Fajr-5C variant adds satnav guidance)

First used vs IsraelNovember 15, 2012 (Hamas/PIJ launches at Tel Aviv)

Warhead: HE-fragmentation; CSIS lists a 90 kg HE warhead, other references cite up to 175 kg — sources disagree.

In action: Fired in ones and twos at Tel Aviv in Nov 2012; Hezbollah holds thousands of Fajr-3/Fajr-5s as the mid-range tier of its arsenal.

Iran's signature proxy rocket: the transfer of Fajr-5s to both Hezbollah and Gaza was the first big step in extending proxy reach from border towns to Israel's population centers. Sources: [1] [2]

R-160

M-302 · Khaibar-1

Classheavy artillery rocket

Range90–180 km

Warhead100–175 kg

Guidanceunguided

First used vs IsraelJuly 2014 (Operation Protective Edge — fired toward the Haifa area)

Warhead: HE-fragmentation; M-302 variants carry ~100-175 kg depending on version.

In action: July 2014: the deepest Gaza strikes to that date (~116 km); the Iranian arms ship Klos-C, seized in March 2014, carried 40 M-302s bound for Gaza. Hezbollah's Khaibar-1 version hit Afula in 2006.

Its 2014 debut forced alert coverage as far north as Haifa and showed Syrian-produced heavy rockets had reached Gaza by sea. Sources: [1] [2]

Ayyash-250

A-250

Classheavy artillery rocket

Range220–250 km

Warheadundisclosed

Guidanceunguided

First used vs IsraelMay 2021 (single launch toward Ramon Airport, ~220 km)

Warhead: Heavy HE warhead of undocumented weight; accuracy very poor at full range.

In action: Fired singly: one at Ramon Airport in May 2021; small numbers launched again after October 7, 2023 toward deep targets.

Longest-range weapon known in Hamas's arsenal, named for bombmaker Yahya Ayyash. Its 250 km claim puts essentially all of Israel inside Gaza rocket range on paper. Sources: [1] [2]

Badr-3

Badr 3

Classheavy artillery rocket

Range13–160 km

Warhead250–400 kg

Guidanceunguided

First used vs IsraelMay 5, 2019 (PIJ launches at the Ashkelon area)

Warhead: Very heavy HE warhead for a Gaza rocket — 250 kg of explosive per PIJ, 300-400 kg total per analyst Fabian Hinz; airbursts ~20 m up for wide fragmentation. Range claims disagree sharply: ~13 km as verified in use, 150-160 km claimed.

In action: Debuted during the ~700-rocket May 2019 escalation; fired again in the May 2021 war and 2022-23 Gaza rounds; IDF captured Badr-3 stocks inside Gaza in 2024.

PIJ's showcase Iranian-designed heavy rocket — what it lacks in range and accuracy it makes up in warhead mass, several times heavier than typical Palestinian rockets. Sources: [1] [2]

Lebanon — Hezbollah

7 systems

Fajr-3

Fadjr-3

Classheavy artillery rocket

Range~43 km

Warhead~45 kg

Guidanceunguided

First used vs Israel2006 Lebanon War (Fajr-class rockets struck the Haifa area)

Warhead: 45 kg HE warhead (CSIS); 240mm caliber, 407 kg launch weight.

In action: Part of Hezbollah's 100+/day deep-strike fire in 2006; the Fajr tier sits between Katyushas and Zelzal-class heavy rockets in Hezbollah's range ladder.

Iran began transferring Fajr-3/Fajr-5 to Hezbollah in the early 2000s — the first rockets that put Haifa within reach from southern Lebanon. Sources: [1] [2]

Falaq-1 / Falaq-2

Falagh

Classheavy artillery rocket

Range10–11 km

Warhead50–120 kg

Guidanceunguided

First used vs IsraelHeavy documented use from late 2023 in the border war; first claimed Falaq-2 combat launch August 2024

Warhead: Falaq-1: ~50 kg HE; Falaq-2: 120 kg improved warhead per CSIS — heavy blast effect at short range.

In action: Near-daily Falaq-1 strikes on border positions and towns like Kiryat Shmona during Oct 2023 – Nov 2024; Hezbollah publicized its first Falaq-2 launches in August 2024.

Hezbollah's preferred heavy hammer for the first kilometers over the border — big warheads on short-flight rockets that give defenses minimal engagement time. Sources: [1] [2]

Burkan

Borkan · Volcano

Classheavy artillery rocket

Range1–10 km

Warhead100–500 kg

Guidanceunguided

First used vs IsraelLate 2023 (border war)

Warhead: Oversized HE warhead of 100-500 kg on a short-range rocket body; destruction radius up to ~150 m (Alma Center).

In action: Used repeatedly in multi-rocket strikes on IDF border posts through 2024; footage of Burkan impacts became a Hezbollah propaganda staple.

A weapon born of Syria's siege warfare adopted against Israeli border fortifications — trades range for one of the heaviest warheads of any rocket fired at Israel. Sources: [1]

Zelzal-2

Zilzal-2

Classheavy artillery rocket

Range~210 km

Warhead~600 kg

Guidanceunguided (spin-stabilized); Iranian kits convert it into a Fateh-110-class guided missile

First used vs IsraelNot documented as fired — held as a strategic stockpile (Israel destroyed Zelzal launchers on the ground in the 2006 war's opening strikes)

Warhead: 600 kg HE warhead (CSIS); unguided, so useful mainly against city-sized targets or as feedstock for guidance conversion.

In action: No documented salvo use; Iranian suitcase-sized kits reportedly convert a Zelzal-2 into a ~300 km guided missile in 2-3 hours at $5,000-$10,000 per conversion (BICOM).

The heart of Hezbollah's 'precision project': from 2016 Iran smuggled GPS-guidance conversion kits for Zelzal-2s — a program Israel repeatedly bombed. Sources: [1] [2]

Fateh-110 / M-600

M-600 Tishreen · Qader-1 (Hezbollah variant)

ClassSRBM

Range190–300 km

Warhead450–500 kg

Guidanceinertial + satellite (GPS-aided); quasi-ballistic with maneuvering variants

First used vs IsraelSeptember 25, 2024 — Hezbollah's first-ever ballistic missile launch at Tel Aviv (intercepted by David's Sling)

Warhead: 450-500 kg HE; the Qader-1 fired at Tel Aviv carried a 500 kg warhead. Precision-guided versions are the core of Hezbollah's PGM project — CEPs from ~500 m down to tens of meters claimed.

In action: Single-missile use documented (Sept 25, 2024). Israeli intelligence assessed Hezbollah held hundreds of Fateh-110/M-600-class missiles; most were targeted in the Sept–Nov 2024 air campaign.

The most strategically watched item in Hezbollah's arsenal: a genuinely guided ballistic missile family, its lone combat use against Tel Aviv intercepted. Sources: [1] [2]

Mirsad-1

Ababil-T · Mersad

ClassOWA drone

Range~120 km

Warhead~40 kg

Guidancepre-programmed waypoint/GPS navigation

First used vs IsraelFirst penetrated Israeli airspace on reconnaissance in November 2004; used as an attack drone from October 2023

Warhead: Up to ~40 kg of explosives in one-way attack configuration.

In action: October 13, 2024: two Mirsads launched from Lebanon; one evaded detection and hit a Golani Brigade dining hall in Binyamina — 4 soldiers killed, ~60 wounded, the deadliest single Hezbollah drone strike of the war.

Hezbollah's drone campaign proved harder to detect than rockets — low, slow and small, several crossed 40+ km into Israel before interception or impact. Sources: [1] [2]

Almas

Almas-1/2/3

ClassATGM

Range4–16 km

Warheadundisclosed

Guidanceelectro-optical seeker with datalink — fire-and-observe, Spike-style lofted attack profile

First used vs IsraelJanuary 2024 (videoed strikes on border surveillance posts)

Warhead: Tandem shaped-charge (anti-armor); Almas-1 ~4 km, Almas-2 ~8 km, Almas-3 up to 16 km from aerial platforms.

In action: Used in repeated single-shot precision strikes on IDF observation posts, radars and even an Iron Dome battery area through 2024.

A bitter irony documented by Israeli media: an Israeli Spike cloned by Iran and fired back at Israeli border installations, giving Hezbollah true precision at the tactical edge. Sources: [1] [2]

Yemen — the Houthis

5 systems

Palestine-2

Filastin-2

ClassMRBM

Range1,450–2,150 km

Warhead~500 kg

Guidanceinertial/satnav with maneuvering re-entry vehicle (assessed)

First used vs IsraelSeptember 15, 2024 (first missile from Yemen to reach central Israel)

Warhead: ~500 kg claimed; two-stage solid fuel with a maneuvering re-entry vehicle. Houthi 'hypersonic' branding (claimed Mach 16) is treated with heavy skepticism by analysts — the Israeli Air Force said it has no evidence of a true hypersonic weapon.

In action: Fired singly, roughly weekly during peaks: 52 Houthi ballistic missiles + 13 drones at Israel between March 18 and June 28, 2025. May 4, 2025: one evaded THAAD and Arrow and hit Ben Gurion Airport's perimeter, injuring 6-8.

The Ben Gurion strike was the propaganda high-point of the Houthi campaign — a single missile that briefly halted international air traffic. Sources: [1] [2]

Zulfiqar (Houthi)

Zolfaghar · Burkan-3 derivative

ClassMRBM

Range1,350–1,950 km

Warheadundisclosed

Guidanceinertial (Scud-lineage liquid-fuel MRBM)

First used vs IsraelOctober 31, 2023 (first Houthi ballistic missile attack on Israel — intercepted by Arrow 2, Arrow's first combat kill)

Warhead: Scud/Ghadr-lineage HE warhead, ~500-650 kg class assessed. Reaching Eilat from northern Yemen requires ~1,600+ km, which led analysts to conclude a Ghadr-class missile was in play.

In action: Launched in small salvos of 1-3 missiles toward Eilat in Oct-Nov 2023 — all intercepted or fell short; the Oct 31 Arrow 2 engagement is cited as the first combat interception in space.

Analysis of the 2023 launches concluded the Houthis were using modified Scud-family missiles with ranges beyond anything they had fired before, confirming Iranian MRBM transfer to Yemen. Sources: [1] [2]

Toofan

Tufan · Typhoon

ClassMRBM

Range1,350–1,950 km

Warhead~650 kg

Guidanceinertial

First used vs IsraelParaded September 2023; linked to long-range Houthi launches at Israel from late 2023 onward

Warhead: Ghadr-class separating warhead ~650 kg; simulations found the 1,950 km claim plausible — enough to cover all of Israel from northern Yemen.

In action: Single-missile launches typical of Houthi long-range strikes.

Together with Zulfiqar and the Palestine family, Toofan shows the Houthis fielding Iranian MRBM technology under local names — the first non-state actor to sustain 1,500+ km ballistic missile strikes. Sources: [1] [2]

Quds cruise missile family

Quds-1/2/3/4 · al-Arqab

Classcruise missile

Range700–2,000 km

Warheadundisclosed

Guidanceinertial + satellite navigation, low-altitude terrain-hugging profile

First used vs IsraelOctober 19, 2023 (USS Carney intercepted 4 Houthi cruise missiles and 15 drones assessed as heading toward Israel)

Warhead: Warhead size undisclosed (Quds-1 total mass only ~450 kg, so a relatively small HE charge); Quds-1 ~700-800 km, Quds-2 ~1,350 km, Quds-4 claimed up to ~2,000 km.

In action: Oct 19, 2023 salvo of 4 cruise missiles + 15 drones; later typically 1-2 missiles per launch at Eilat; one reached the Eilat area in March 2024.

The Quds family's low-altitude approach makes it a different detection problem from ballistic missiles and forced Israel to widen radar coverage over the Red Sea approach. Sources: [1] [2]

Samad-3

Sammad-3 · Yafa (modified long-range version)

ClassOWA drone

Range1,500–1,800 km

Warhead~40 kg

Guidancesatellite/waypoint navigation

First used vs IsraelLaunch attempts from October 2023; July 19, 2024 a Samad-3 ('Yafa') struck central Tel Aviv

Warhead: Explosive payload up to ~40 kg; extended-range conformal fuel tank, ~4.5 m wingspan, pusher prop.

In action: Typically single-drone sorties. July 19, 2024, 3:12 a.m.: one flew ~2,000 km, evaded detection and exploded near the US embassy branch in Tel Aviv, killing one man and injuring ten — the first fatal Houthi strike inside Israel.

The Tel Aviv hit exposed a gap in drone detection (the drone was tracked but not classified as hostile) and triggered Israel's first airstrike on Yemen the next day. Sources: [1] [2]

Iran — direct

8 systems

Emad

Emad-1

ClassMRBM

Range~1,700 km

Warhead~750 kg

Guidanceinertial + satnav with terminally guided maneuvering re-entry vehicle

Est. cost / round$250k

First used vs IsraelApril 13-14, 2024 (Operation True Promise)

Warhead: ~750 kg HE with a finned, maneuverable re-entry vehicle; Iran claims CEP ~50 m — Iran's first 'precision' MRBM.

In action: Fired in every direct Iranian attack: April 2024 (part of 120+ ballistic missiles), October 1, 2024 (~180-200 in ~30 minutes), June 2025 (bulk of ~550-590 missiles with Ghadr), and the 2026 war (~650 missiles total).

JINSA's July 2025 cost study put Emad at ~$250,000 per round — Iran's cheap workhorse for mass barrages; most were intercepted by Arrow, David's Sling and US THAAD/Aegis. Sources: [1] [2]

Ghadr

Ghadr-110 · Ghadr-S/H/F

ClassMRBM

Range1,350–1,950 km

Warhead650–1,000 kg

Guidanceinertial (+satnav updates on later variants)

Est. cost / round$5M

First used vs IsraelApril 13-14, 2024

Warhead: Warhead reduced from ~1,000 kg to ~650 kg across variants to buy range (Ghadr-S 1,350 km → Ghadr-F 1,950 km); conventional HE, separating warhead.

In action: With Emad, formed the bulk of the October 1, 2024 (~200-missile) and June 2025 (~550-590-missile) barrages; also fired in the 2026 war. Cost estimates for Iranian missiles vary widely between analysts.

A 1990s-lineage design kept relevant by mass: Iran fired more Shahab-3-family (Ghadr/Emad) rounds at Israel in 2024-2026 than any other missile type. Sources: [1] [2]

Kheibar Shekan

Khaybar Shekan · Castle Breaker

ClassMRBM

Range~1,450 km

Warhead500–550 kg

Guidanceinertial/satnav with terminal-phase maneuvering re-entry vehicle

First used vs IsraelApril 13-14, 2024 (debris identified); used at scale June 2025

Warhead: ~500-550 kg HE in a tri-conic maneuverable re-entry vehicle designed to evade terminal defenses; composite body, launch-ready solid fuel. Basis for the Houthi Palestine-2.

In action: One of the main types in Iran's June 2025 barrages; its compact size lets more be stored in underground 'missile cities', sustaining multi-wave salvos.

Several June 2025 impacts in Israeli cities were attributed to Kheibar Shekan-class missiles that leaked through saturated defenses. Sources: [1] [2]

Fattah-1

Fattah · Conqueror

ClassMRBM

Range~1,400 km

Warhead350–500 kg

Guidanceinertial/satnav; maneuvering re-entry vehicle with claimed in-flight course correction

First used vs IsraelDebris identified from both the April and October 2024 strikes; IRGC claimed mass use October 1, 2024

Warhead: Sources disagree: ~350-450 kg per some references, up to ~500 kg per others; two-stage solid fuel with a thrust-vector-controlled maneuvering warhead.

In action: IRGC said Fattah-1s were among ~200 missiles fired Oct 1, 2024 (first claimed combat use of a 'hypersonic' weapon against Israel); used again in June 2025.

Iran's flagship prestige missile. Independent analysts confirmed its debris in Israel but dispute the 'unstoppable hypersonic' framing — Arrow and THAAD engaged Fattah-class re-entry vehicles with claimed success. Sources: [1] [2]

Haj Qasem

Hajj Qassem

ClassMRBM

Range~1,400 km

Warhead~500 kg

Guidanceinertial/satnav; maneuvering re-entry, reported electro-optical terminal seeker on upgraded rounds

First used vs IsraelJune 2025 (Twelve-Day War)

Warhead: ~500 kg HE; 2024 upgrades reportedly added electro-optical terminal guidance and jamming resistance.

In action: Named by Iran among the types fired in the June 2025 campaign; solid fuel allows quick multi-launcher salvos from dispersed sites.

Part of Iran's newer solid-fuel generation that launches with little warning — exactly the class Israel's February 2026 preemptive campaign prioritized destroying on the ground. Sources: [1] [2]

Sejjil

Sejil · Sajjil-2

ClassMRBM

Range2,000–2,500 km

Warhead~700 kg

Guidanceinertial

First used vs IsraelJune 18, 2025 (first combat use ever; Israel said it was intercepted)

Warhead: ~700 kg payload; 18 m, 23.6 t missile. Iran claimed a possible submunition payload on the June 2025 combat round.

In action: Single claimed launch during the Twelve-Day War — a demonstrative first combat use after 17 years in development.

Storable, quick-launch solid fuel makes Sejjil harder to preempt than the liquid-fuel Ghadr/Emad family; its one combat launch was widely read as an escalation signal. Sources: [1] [2]

Shahed-131 / Shahed-136

Geran-1/2 (Russian service) · Wa'id (Houthi clones)

ClassOWA drone

Range900–2,500 km

Warhead30–50 kg

Guidancesatnav (GNSS) + inertial waypoint navigation

Est. cost / round$20k–$50k

First used vs IsraelApril 13-14, 2024 (~170 launched directly by Iran; proxy Shahed-type launches toward Israel began October 2023)

Warhead: Shahed-131: ~10-15 kg class; Shahed-136: 30-50 kg HE/fragmentation nose warhead, newer variants reported up to ~90 kg. Range estimates span 1,000-2,500 km for the 136.

In action: April 13-14, 2024: ~170 one-way attack drones in one night — none reached Israeli territory (99% interception). June 2025: over 1,000 launched across the Twelve-Day War.

The defining cheap mass-attack weapon of the decade, commonly cited at $20k-$50k apiece. Its slow speed gives hours of warning from Iran — and Israel downed virtually all of them. Sources: [1] [2]

Paveh

Paveh-351 · Soumar family

Classcruise missile

Range~1,650 km

Warheadundisclosed

Guidanceinertial + satellite navigation, terrain-following

First used vs IsraelApril 13-14, 2024 (30+ cruise missiles in the True Promise attack; none reached their targets)

Warhead: Warhead weight undisclosed; terrain-following low-altitude profile for radar evasion.

In action: April 2024: 30+ land-attack cruise missiles launched in one wave, downed largely by fighter aircraft; the same family serves Iraqi militias and the Houthis under other names.

Iran's export of the Paveh family to Iraq's militias and Yemen effectively ringed Israel with the same cruise missile under three different names. Sources: [1] [2]

The Shield

What meets them in the air

Israel operates the most combat-tested layered air defense on earth — plus, since October 2024, a US Army THAAD battery. Every layer recorded world-first combat intercepts in this war.

Bottom layer

Iron Dome

InterceptsShort-range rockets, mortar bombs, and drones (threat ranges roughly 4-70 km); selective engagement — only shoots at projectiles headed for populated areas

Cost / interceptor$40k–$100k

~90%+ claimed interception rate since 2011, with 10,000+ combat intercepts by its 15th anniversary in April 2026; independent analysts estimate 80-90%, lower under saturation barrages. Sources: [1] [2]

Middle layer

David's Sling

InterceptsHeavy rockets, short-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and aircraft in the 40-300 km band — between Iron Dome and Arrow

Cost / interceptor$1M

First operational intercepts May 2023 (Gaza heavy rockets); intercepted Hezbollah's Qader-1 ballistic missile over Tel Aviv on Sept 25, 2024; engaged Iranian missiles 2024-2026. Sources: [1] [2]

Upper layer

Arrow 2

InterceptsBallistic missiles in the upper atmosphere / edge of space (terminal-phase)

Cost / interceptor$3M

First-ever combat intercept Oct 31, 2023 against a Houthi ballistic missile ~100 km up — described as the first combat interception in space; Arrow-family rates above 90% reported. Sources: [1]

Top layer

Arrow 3

InterceptsMedium/long-range ballistic missiles exoatmospherically (hit-to-kill in space) — Israel's top layer against Iranian MRBMs

Cost / interceptor$2M–$4M

First combat intercept Nov 9, 2023 (Houthi missile bound for Eilat); primary killer of Iranian MRBMs in the 2024, 2025 and 2026 barrages. Interceptor stocks ran low in June 2025, prompting a 2026 US-Israel co-production push. Sources: [1] [2]

Upper layer (allied)

THAAD (US Army)

InterceptsMedium/intermediate-range ballistic missiles in terminal high-altitude phase; US battery deployed to Israel October 2024

Cost / interceptor$12M–$13M

First-ever THAAD combat intercept Dec 27, 2024 vs a Houthi missile; at least six Houthi missiles downed by mid-2025; shared a publicized miss (with Arrow) on the May 4, 2025 Ben Gurion strike; heavily expended in the June 2025 war. Sources: [1]

Naval

C-Dome

InterceptsNaval Iron Dome on Sa'ar 6 corvettes — rockets, cruise missiles and drones approaching from the sea

Cost / interceptor$40k–$100k

First operational combat interception April 9, 2024 (hostile UAV approaching Eilat); protected the Eilat/Red Sea approach from Houthi drones and cruise missiles thereafter. Sources: [1]

Bottom layer (laser)

Iron Beam

InterceptsRockets, mortars and drones at short range using a ~100 kW-class high-power laser — unlimited magazine, complement to Iron Dome

Cost / interceptor~$2–5 / shot (electricity)

First operational system delivered to the Israeli Air Force Dec 28, 2025 — the world's first fielded high-power laser air-defense system; cost per shot cited at ~$2-5 of electricity vs $40k-100k per Iron Dome interceptor. Sources: [1] [2]

Stockpiles

How big are the arsenals?

Public estimates, with the caveat that every number here is contested and moves with each war.

Gaza — Hamas & PIJ

~20,000 rockets and mortar bombs on Oct 7, 2023 per Israeli estimates, most short-range. IDF one-year data: 13,200 projectiles fired from Gaza (≈5,000 on Oct 7 alone). Arsenal and production largely destroyed or depleted through 2024-25; fire fell to sporadic single launches and essentially stopped after the October 2025 Gaza ceasefire. Sources: [1] [2]

Lebanon — Hezbollah

Pre-Oct 2023: 120,000-200,000 rockets and missiles commonly cited (CSIS ~130,000; Israeli official estimate 150,000). IDF assessed 70-80% destroyed by the Nov 27, 2024 ceasefire. Early 2026: ~20,000-25,000 remaining; after the March-April 2026 Lebanon war, roughly 10,000-23,000 left, mostly short-range — still enough for 200-rocket barrage days. Sources: [1] [2]

Yemen — the Houthis

Total inventory not publicly quantified; capability is Iranian-resupplied. Launch record vs Israel: 200+ ballistic/cruise missiles and drones in the first 14 months; 52 ballistic missiles + 13 drones between Mar 18 and Jun 28, 2025; attacks paused after the Oct 2025 Gaza ceasefire and resumed Mar 28, 2026 for the Iran war. Sources: [1] [2]

Iran — direct

~2,500-3,000 ballistic missiles pre-June 2025 (US/Israeli estimates), of which ~2,000-2,500 could reach Israel. Fired ~550-590 at Israel in the June 2025 Twelve-Day War. Rebuilt toward ~2,500 Israel-range missiles by early 2026, then fired ~650 in the Feb-Apr 2026 war; an Israeli Air Force official estimated just over 1,000 remaining at the April 2026 ceasefire, with 300+ launchers destroyed cutting fire rates by 70-92%. Sources: [1] [2] [3]

Firsts & records

The escalation ladder, dated

Every rung on the way from improvised rockets to history's largest ballistic-missile barrages.

Oct 7, 2023 Hamas-led assault opens with the largest rocket barrage ever fired at Israel: 2,200-5,000 rockets and mortar bombs in the opening ~20-30 minutes. IDF one-year totals: 26,000+ projectiles from all fronts — 13,200 from Gaza, 12,400 from Lebanon, ~400 from Iran, 180 from Yemen, 60 from Syria. Sources: [1]
Oct 31, 2023 First Houthi ballistic missile attack on Israel; Arrow 2 records its first-ever combat interception, engaging outside the atmosphere. Sources: [1]
Apr 13, 2024 Iran's first-ever direct attack on Israel: ~170 Shahed drones, 30+ cruise missiles, 120+ ballistic missiles overnight. US-led coalition and Israel intercept ~99%; ~5 ballistic missiles hit Nevatim airbase. Sources: [1]
Jul 19, 2024 Houthi Samad-3 drone flies ~2,000 km and strikes central Tel Aviv, killing one — the first fatal Houthi strike in Israel; Israel strikes Hodeidah, Yemen the next day. Sources: [1]
Sep 25, 2024 Hezbollah fires its first-ever ballistic missile at Tel Aviv — a Qader-1 aimed at Mossad HQ — intercepted by David's Sling. Sources: [1]
Oct 1, 2024 Iran launches ~180-200 ballistic missiles in ~30 minutes — the largest single ballistic missile salvo in history. Most intercepted; ~20-32 impacts at Nevatim airbase. Sources: [1]
Oct 13, 2024 Hezbollah Mirsad-1 drone evades detection and hits a Golani Brigade base dining hall in Binyamina: 4 soldiers killed, ~60 wounded — the deadliest drone strike of the war. Sources: [1]
Nov 24, 2024 Hezbollah fires ~250 rockets and projectiles in one day — its heaviest barrage of the war — three days before the Nov 27 ceasefire. Sources: [1]
Dec 27, 2024 First-ever combat intercept by a THAAD battery anywhere: the US Army system in Israel downs a Houthi medium-range ballistic missile. Sources: [1]
May 4, 2025 A Houthi ballistic missile (claimed Palestine-2) evades both THAAD and Arrow and hits the perimeter of Ben Gurion Airport, injuring 6-8 and halting international flights for days. Sources: [1]
Jun 13, 2025 Twelve-Day War: Iran fires ~550-591 ballistic missiles and 1,000+ drones at Israel. ~86-90% intercepted; 59-64 missile impacts kill ~30 and wound ~2,000. First combat Sejjil launch and cluster-submunition warheads documented June 18-19. Sources: [1] [2]
Oct 10, 2025 Gaza war ceasefire takes effect; rocket fire from Gaza has dwindled to sporadic launches, and Houthi attacks pause following the deal. Sources: [1]
Feb 28, 2026 The 2026 Iran war begins: ~900 US-Israeli strikes in 12 hours; Iran retaliates with the heaviest missile-and-drone barrages ever fired at Israel — 10,162 alerts in a single day. Sources: [1]
Mar 2, 2026 Hezbollah resumes rocket fire for the first time since Nov 2024, igniting the 2026 Lebanon war: ~2,000 rockets plus drones over six weeks. Sources: [1]
Mar 11, 2026 Largest integrated Axis attack of the 2026 war: Hezbollah fires ~200 rockets in one barrage while the IRGC launches ballistic missiles in a coordinated operation — 105 attack waves counted that day. Sources: [1]
Mar 28, 2026 The Houthis rejoin the fight, resuming ballistic missile, cruise missile and drone attacks on Israel in coordination with Iran and Hezbollah. Sources: [1]
Apr 8, 2026 US-Iran ceasefire ends the 2026 Iran war after ~5.5 weeks. Iran fired ~650 ballistic missiles at Israel during the war; 300+ Iranian launchers destroyed cut fire rates by 70-92%. Sources: [1] [2]

Method

About this page

This is curated editorial reference material, compiled July 2026 from public sources — CSIS Missile Threat, IISS, the US Defense Intelligence Agency, Wikipedia, and press reporting (each entry links its sources). Specifications for these systems are approximate: ranges and warhead figures are the commonly cited envelopes, and sources frequently disagree — where they do, the entry says so. Unlike the rest of this site, none of this derives from the alert dataset; the raw file is arsenal.json.