With both Israel and the US eating into stockpiles of interceptors to swat away the steady stream of missiles, rockets and drones being launched by Iran and Hezbollah, speculation has grown regarding whether supplies could be running low.

Israeli officials have attempted to deflect and experts indicate that there is little cause for concern, despite the length of time it typically takes to produce new interceptor missiles.

Due to operational security, the actual size of remaining stocks remains a closely guarded secret.

On Saturday, a report by US news site Semafor claimed that Israel informed the US last week that it is running “critically low” on ballistic missile interceptors, citing American officials familiar with the matter.

That same day, the Israeli government approved the transfer of an additional NIS 2.6 billion (around $826 million) in budget funds to the Defense Ministry for “urgent and essential defense procurement.”

An earlier report by The Washington Post alleging that the US was transferring parts of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system from South Korea to the Middle East further fueled speculation.

However, according to sources cited in the piece, the move was a precautionary measure and did not signify an immediate shortage of interceptors in the region.

The attention is a byproduct of the role interceptors play as the backbone of Israel’s defense strategy. With the primary threat from Iran and its proxies in the region coming by air in the form of missiles, rockets and drones, Israel relies heavily on its multi-tiered air defense array to meet the incoming projectile in mid-air, blowing it up before it can strike its destination.

Without interceptors to throw at the threat, the hundreds of missiles and rockets launched at Israel since the war broke out on February 28 would have likely wreaked widespread devastation, with the only protection coming from reinforced safe rooms and bomb shelters.

Rumors that interceptor stockpiles in the region were running low had already been circulating before Israel launched Operation Roaring Lion on February 28, targeting Iranian regime leadership and military infrastructure.

In the opening days of the war, Tal Inbar, a veteran expert on aviation policy, space and missile systems, told The Times of Israel that Jerusalem and Washington likely factored interceptor availability into their planning before initiating the campaign.

“I believe that the amount of interceptor missiles was something that was taken into consideration in both the US and Israel,” he said. “The operational plans took into account the length of the campaign and [Israel and the US’s] capabilities of not just intercepting missiles, but also preventing strikes by hitting locations in Iran.”

That assessment appears to align with Israel’s official position. On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces pushed back against reports suggesting the country was running low on air defense interceptors.

An Israeli military official told reporters that the IDF did not have an interceptor shortage. “We prepared for a prolonged conflict. We are monitoring the situation at all times,” the official said.

Yinon Yavor, head of the School of Mechanical Engineering at Afeka College and head of the Afeka Center for Energetic Materials, suggested that the........

© The Times of Israel