IDF says Syria missiles launched at Israel, backtracks on false alarm

The targets of the first known operational launch of the David’s Sling air defense system on Monday were a pair of Syrian surface-to-surface missiles carrying approximately a half ton of explosives, which appeared to be heading toward northern Israel, according to the military’s initial investigation.

Ultimately, the two Syrian SS-21 short-range ballistic missiles, which were fired as part of the country’s internal fighting, did not clear the border and landed one kilometer inside Syria.

The David’s Sling’s two interceptor missiles were launched as a precautionary measure when the system calculated that the Syrian projectiles were likely to hit northern Israel, near the Sea of Galilee.

After a period of time, the air defense battery’s computers determined that the Syrian missiles were going to fall short. At that point, one of the interceptor missiles was ordered to self-destruct, doing so over northern Israel, in the southern Golan Heights.

The army’s initial investigation had yet to determine what happened to the second interceptor, if it intercepted one of the Syrian missiles, if it landed in Syria or if it successfully self-destructed over Syria.

There were concerns in the military that if the David’s Sling interceptor missile landed intact in Syria it could be taken by the Syrian military and used to gather intelligence about the air defense system’s capabilities, though this was not seen as a likely scenario.

— Judah Ari Gross