Missile Defence in the US-Israel-Iran Conflict

Missile defence definition: Integrated system of sensors, command‑centres and interceptors to detect, track and destroy incoming projectiles.
Major US systems: THAAD (hit‑to‑kill, terminal phase), Patriot (last‑line defence), SM‑3/SM‑6 (sea‑based), IFPC (AIM‑9X for drones/rockets).
Israeli systems: Arrow‑2/Arrow‑3 (ballistic missile defence, exo‑atmospheric for Arrow‑3), David’s Sling (medium‑range), Iron Dome (short‑range, 80‑97% success), Iron Beam (laser).
UAE system: Cheongung II – South Korean medium‑range air‑defence.
Iranian systems: Bavar‑373 (long‑range SAM), Sevom‑e‑Khordad (mobile SAM), Tor‑M1 (short‑range), Majid & Azarakhsh (drone defence).
Interceptor technologies:
Hit‑to‑Kill: kinetic collision (e.g., THAAD, Arrow‑3, SM‑3).
Proximity Fuse: warhead detonates near target (older Patriot, some SM‑6 variants).

The escalation in the Middle East has led to high‑intensity missile and drone attacks, testing the robustness of layered air‑defence networks.
US‑Israel cooperation on missile‑defence dates back to the 1990s (Arrow programme) and continues with joint R&D, procurement and deployment.
Iran’s indigenous programmes (Bavar‑373, Sevom‑e‑Khordad) aim to achieve strategic autonomy and counter regional air‑defence superiority.

Strategic learning: India monitors these systems for its own ballistic missile defence (BMD) development – e.g., Prithvi‑II BMD, Astra‑BMD, and the indigenously developed Vajra‑II.
Procurement & indigenisation: Lessons from US‑Israel collaborations influence India’s push for Make‑in‑India defence projects and technology transfer.
Policy implications: Deployment of missile‑defence affects deterrence doctrine, rules of engagement, and civil‑military coordination during crises.
International relations: Missile‑defence deployments can trigger regional arms races; understanding them aids analysis of security dynamics in South‑Asia and the Middle‑East.

Article 53 of the Constitution empowers the President (through the Council of Ministers) to declare war and make peace, underpinning decisions on missile‑defence deployment.
Defence Procurement Policy (DPP) 2020 and Strategic Partnership Model guide acquisition of advanced systems like THAAD or indigenous equivalents.
National Disaster Management Act, 2005 – missile‑defence can be integrated with civil defence mechanisms for disaster response.