World
How Missile Defense Works (and Why It Fails)
Once a
The target,
In April and October, Iran launched two of the largest ballistic missile attacks in history at Israel. The world’s most advanced missile defense systems, deployed by Israel and the United States, stopped some of the missiles — but not all of them.
Neither attack caused major damage, but some Israeli and American officials said it may have been a matter of luck that it was not worse. After Israel struck back at Iran last week, Iranian officials threatened another round of retaliation, although their plans remain unclear.
Here’s why stopping a ballistic missile attack is hard.
Ballistic missiles like the ones Iran fired last month escape the atmosphere and accelerate to great speeds as they fall back down to Earth. It took only about 12 minutes for Iran’s missiles to reach Israel, analysts estimate. But there was far less time to make critical decisions about how to stop them.
Within seconds,
A defensive missile called
That’s all hard enough with one missile. But Iran fired
Radars can only track so many targets at once, and launchers, once emptied, may need a half hour or more to reload.
Beyond that, if they are concerned about future attacks, targeted countries may also need to make a critical split-second decision to
After Iran’s second barrage, in October, Israel said its defense systems had shot down many of the missiles, and those that struck appear to have caused limited damage.
But satellite imagery does show that the barrage, which analysts said used more advanced missiles, left dozens of craters at one air base, Nevatim. Had those missiles landed in a populated area, the death and destruction could have been extensive.
Israel’s best-known defense system, the Iron Dome, was built to stop short-range rockets, and is too slow and limited when it comes to ballistic missiles. For that, Israel relies on several more advanced layers of defense designed to counter ballistic missiles at different stages of flight.
The most advanced systems, long-range interceptors like the Arrow 3, operate in space, where ballistic missiles like those Iran fired spend most of their time. They are the first chance to stop a missile, but high above the atmosphere, there is no room for error.
Both an The interceptor seeks That’s because missiles like Iran’s latest are only about If that weren’t hard enough, some ballistic missiles carry
It’s unclear how often interceptions above the atmosphere actually work. Governments tend to avoid disclosing specific interception rates, and they have every reason to present a positive picture, even when interceptions fail. So do the companies that manufacture the pricey systems.
When combined with U.S. antimissile systems in the region, Israel currently has the most layers of missile defense in the world. If outer-layer defenses fail to stop a missile, shorter-range systems that intercept missiles closer to the ground may have another chance.
But time runs out quickly. The closer a ballistic missile gets, the more dangerous it becomes. And even if a lower-altitude intercept is successful, the resulting debris can still be deadly.
If a missile succeeds in re-entering the atmosphere, often less than a minute remains before it strikes. Defenses that work As the missile nears the ground, An attacker can draw on a variety of tactics. To distract the enemy, it can fire a volley of cheaper
Israel’s retaliatory strike at Iran last week targeted missile production sites and degraded Iran’s ability to produce the kind of missiles it fired in October. The attack damaged at least one rocket production facility, as well as fuel mixers that make propellant for Iran’s missile fleet.
It is unclear how Iran will respond or whether it will fire another round of ballistic missiles, but if it does, the fundamental imbalance of missile warfare will remain: Firing a ballistic missile is a lot easier than stopping one. And making a ballistic missile is cheaper and faster than making an interceptor to shoot one down.
Over the course of a protracted conflict, it could become a question of which side runs out of missiles first.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — People across the country formed long lines for free meals and groceries at food pantries and drive-through giveaways Saturday, after monthly benefits through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, were suddenly cut off because of the ongoing government shutdown.
In the New York borough of the Bronx, about 200 more people than usual showed up at the World of Life Christian Fellowship International pantry, many bundled in winter hats and coats and pushing collapsible shopping carts as they waited in a line that spanned multiple city blocks. Some arrived as early as 4 a.m. to choose from pallets of fruits, vegetables, bread, milk, juice, dry goods and prepared sandwiches.
Mary Martin, who volunteers at the pantry, also relies on it regularly for food to supplement her SNAP payments. She said she usually splits her roughly $200 a month in SNAP benefits between herself and her two adult sons, one of whom has six children and is especially dependent on the assistance.
“If I didn’t have the pantry to come to, I don’t know how we would make it,” Martin said.
“I’m not gonna see my grandkids suffer.”
The Department of Agriculture planned to withhold payments to the food program starting Saturday until two federal judges ordered the administration to make them. However it was unclear as to when the debit cards that beneficiaries use could be reloaded after the ruling, sparking fear and confusion among many recipients.
In an apparent response to President Donald Trump, who said he would provide the money but wanted more legal direction from the court, U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell in Rhode Island ordered the government to report back by Monday on how it would fund SNAP accounts.
McConnell, who was nominated by President Barack Obama, said the Trump administration must either make a full payment by that day or, if it decides to tap $3 billion in a contingency fund, figure out how to do that by Wednesday.
The delay in SNAP payments, a major piece of the nation’s social safety net that serves about 42 million people, has highlighted the financial vulnerabilities that many face. At the Bronx food pantry, the Rev. John Udo-Okon said “people from all walks of life” are seeking help now.
“The pantry is no longer for the poor, for the elderly, for the needy. The pantry now is for the whole community, everybody,” Udo-Okon said. “You see people will drive in their car and come and park and wait to see if they can get food.”
In Austell, Georgia, people in hundreds of cars in drive-through lanes picked up nonperishable and perishable bags of food. Must Ministries said it handed out food to about 1,000 people, more than a typical bimonthly food delivery.
Families in line said they worried about not getting SNAP benefits in time for Thanksgiving.
At a drive-through food giveaway at the Calvary Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, SNAP recipient James Jackson, 74, said he is frustrated that people are being hurt by decisions made in Washington and lawmakers should try harder to understand challenges brought by poverty and food insecurity.
“If you’ve never been poor, you don’t know what it is to be poor,” Jackson said. “I hope that it turns around. I hope that people get their SNAP benefits, and I hope we just come together where we can love each other and feed each other and help each other.”
While there is typically a long line for Calvary Baptist Church’s drive-through events, the Rev. Samuel L. Whitlow said, the walk-in food pantry has seen increased demand recently with roughly 60 additional people showing up this week.
And in Norwich, Connecticut, the St. Vincent De Paul soup kitchen and food pantry had 10 extra volunteers working Saturday to help a wave of expected newcomers, making sure they felt comfortable and understood the services available. Besides groceries and hot meals, the site was providing pet food, toiletries and blood pressure checks.
“They’re embarrassed. They have shame. So you have to deal with that as well,” director Jill Corbin said. “But we do our best to just try to welcome people.”
___
Haigh reported from Norwich, Connecticut. Associated Press photographer Mike Stewart in Austell, Georgia, contributed.
World
Rubio slams Hamas after video shows suspected operatives looting Gaza aid truck: ‘They’re the impediment’
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio blasted Hamas on Saturday after a U.S. military drone video surfaced showing suspected operatives of the terror group looting a truck carrying humanitarian aid bound for civilians in Gaza.
The video, released by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), shows suspected Hamas operatives attacking the driver of an aid truck Friday and dragging him to the road’s median, before fleeing the scene with both the vehicle and its cargo.
“Hamas continues to deprive the people of Gaza of the humanitarian aid they desperately need,” Rubio wrote on X. “This theft undermines international efforts in support of President Trump’s 20 Point Plan to deliver critical assistance to innocent civilians.”
NEW STUDY SAYS AID THEFT BY TERROR GROUPS AND REGIMES IS PROLONGING GLOBAL CONFLICTS
Rubio said Hamas itself remains “the impediment” — accusing the terror group of blocking relief intended for civilians.
The video, released by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), shows suspected Hamas operatives attacking the driver of an aid truck, dragging him to the road’s median, and then fleeing the scene with both the vehicle and its cargo. (U.S. CENTCOM via X)
“They must lay down their arms and stop their looting so that Gaza can have a brighter future,” he added.
The truck was part of a humanitarian convoy carrying supplies from international partners to Gazans in northern Khan Younis, according to CENTCOM.
The incident was captured on video surveillance by the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) using a U.S. MQ-9 drone that was monitoring the implementation of the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, the command noted.
ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU ORDERS ‘IMMEDIATE AND POWERFUL STRIKES IN THE GAZA STRIP’
Secretary of State Marco Rubio blasted Hamas on Saturday after drone video surfaced showing suspected operatives of the terror group looting a truck carrying humanitarian aid bound for civilians in Gaza. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“Operatives attacked the driver and stole the aid and truck after moving the driver to the road’s median,” CENTCOM posted to X. “The driver’s current status is unknown.”
Nearly 40 nations and international organizations are coordinating humanitarian, logistical and security assistance for Gaza through the CMCC, the command said.
“Over the past week, international partners have delivered more than 600 trucks of commercial goods and aid into Gaza daily,” CENTCOM wrote. “This incident undermines these efforts.”
TRUMP GIVES HAMAS 48 HOURS TO RETURN ALL DECEASED GAZA HOSTAGES, OR ‘OTHER COUNTRIES WILL TAKE ACTION’
Nearly 40 nations and international organizations are coordinating humanitarian, logistical and security assistance for Gaza through the CMCC, according to CENTCOM. (Khames Alrefi/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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The CMCC, located in southern Israel, officially opened on Oct. 17, marking the establishment of a central hub for Gaza aid just days after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect.
The center serves as the main hub for Gaza stabilization efforts and includes an operations floor designed to track real-time developments inside Gaza.
Data published in August by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) showed that most of its aid entering the war-torn Gaza Strip had been looted inside the Palestinian territory.
Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf and Ruth Marks Eglash contributed to this report.
The EU has praised Moldova’s efforts towards European integration. But the country, which filed its bid to join the EU almost at the same time as Ukraine, is now caught in the crossfire of Hungary’s veto against Kyiv.
Its president Maia Sandu calls for clarity in comments to Euronews.
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