Latest news with #YehoshuaKalisky
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
'$12 billion a month': The cost of Israel's daily strikes and defence against Iran - war at a premium
Israel is spending hundreds of millions of dollars each day in its escalating conflict with Iran, with the cost of interceptors, munitions, air operations, and infrastructure damage mounting rapidly, according to The Wall Street Journal. The daily military expenditure could run as high as $200 million just for missile interceptions, with broader operational costs and infrastructure damage driving that figure significantly higher. Experts estimate that rebuilding damage caused by Iranian missile strikes could alone cost Israel at least $400 million. Former Bank of Israel governor Karnit Flug warned that while the economy may absorb the costs of a short conflict, a prolonged war could be far more damaging. 'If it is a week, it is one thing,' she said. 'If it is two weeks or a month, it is a very different story.' The financial toll is being driven in large part by the heavy use of Israel's air defence systems. The David's Sling system, used to intercept short- and long-range threats, costs around $700,000 per activation when firing its minimum of two interceptors. The Arrow 3 system, designed to stop long-range ballistic missiles, costs around $4 million per interception, while Arrow 2 costs approximately $3 million, according to military analyst Yehoshua Kalisky. The conflict has seen more than 400 Iranian missiles fired at Israel in recent days, most of which required interception. The cost of deploying fighter jets—particularly F-35s—adds further pressure. Each hour of flight costs around $10,000 per aircraft. The cost of fuel, munitions like JDAMs and MK84s, and logistics for long-range missions all contribute to Israel's spiralling war bill. Zvi Eckstein, head of the Aaron Institute for Economic Policy, noted that 'per day, it is much more expensive than the war in Gaza or with Hezbollah,' citing the overwhelming burden of ammunition and interceptor usage. His institute estimates that a one-month war with Iran could cost Israel around $12 billion. Despite the sharp military spending, Israel's economy has not entered recession. However, disruptions are widespread. Civilian life has slowed, with many businesses—including restaurants—closed, and only essential workers reporting to duty. The country's main international airport was shut for several days before partially reopening for return flights. On Monday, S&P Global released a risk assessment of the Israel-Iran conflict but left Israel's credit outlook unchanged. Surprisingly, Israeli stock markets rose on Wednesday, with investors betting on the resilience of the economy and a possible swift end to the hostilities. Economists point to Israel's past ability to weather prolonged conflicts, including the 20-month war in Gaza. However, the destruction inflicted by Iranian missile attacks is severe. Structural engineer Eyal Shalev said the damage caused by large ballistic missiles is worse than anything seen in recent conflicts. Hundreds of buildings have been destroyed or heavily damaged, with repair costs expected to run into the hundreds of millions. Meanwhile, Ynet News also reported that Brigadier General (res.) Re'em Aminach, a former senior defence official and IDF financial consultant, estimated that Israel spent about $1.45 billion during the initial two days of combat. Of this, around $593 million went toward offensive operations, such as airstrikes and flight hours, and the rest to defensive measures like missile interception and reservist mobilisation. 'These are direct costs only,' Aminach said. 'The indirect costs — including impact on GDP — cannot be measured at this stage.' The finance ministry has already lowered its GDP growth forecast for 2025 from 4.3% to 3.6% and warned that the existing emergency reserve, mostly depleted by the war in Gaza, does not account for a concurrent conflict with Iran. Israel's deficit ceiling for the year is 4.9% of GDP, or roughly $27.6 billion, which could now be under pressure as the war drags on.
Fox News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Israeli defensive capabilities prevented ‘far greater destruction,' expert says
A security expert has hailed the "outstanding performance" of Israel's defensive capabilities that he said prevented "far greater destruction," amid the barrage of Iranian missiles fired at the Jewish state. The Institute for National Security Studies' Dr. Yehoshua Kalisky recently wrote that the "destructive potential of Iranian ballistic missiles is immense," given the size, maneuverability, and high velocity of various missiles in the Iranian arsenal. He calculated that Israel intercepted "approximately 95%" of the ballistic missiles launched toward its territory as of Saturday. Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital he believes as of Monday, about 20 of the Iranian 250-300 ballistic missiles sent into Israeli airspace have made it through Israel's defenses. On Tuesday, the Israeli military said another 20 were fired, with five getting through with no fatalities. As of June 15, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also stated that Iran had "sent more than 100 UAVs at Israel," which it intercepted. According to Taleblu, the "barrages against Israel follow the pattern established in 2024 where the decades-long covert war between Israel and Iran crept out of the shadows." Taleblu says Iran has been "doubl[ing] down on targeting civilian population centers in what are called counter-value operations in a bid to erode Israel's will to continue its campaign against the Islamic Republic's military sites." He explained there have been "at least eight waves" of attacks on Israel, and that "there is a lot of anecdotal evidence to say that these waves are getting progressively smaller." Amid the Iranian attacks, Kalisky outlined the myriad defensive capabilities that have protected Israeli citizens. These include the Magen Or, "a new and significant addition to Israel's defensive layer" that uses laser systems to intercept Iranian UAVs. The U.S. deployed its Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery (THAAD) to Israel in October 2024 along with 100 U.S. personnel to operate the system. Kalisky says that THAAD "identifies targets up to 2,500 – 3,000 km away" and can intercept "short- and medium-range ballistic missiles at altitudes of up to 150 km." Familiar Israeli systems continue to offer protection. Kalisky wrote that Iron Dome is intercepting missiles and short-range rockets while the David's Sling intercepts cruise missiles and medium-range rockets and missiles. Arrow 2 intercepts long-range ballistic missiles within the atmosphere, while Arrow 3 intercepts them outside the atmosphere. Additionally, Israel's naval interception system, the C-dome, is deployed to Israeli Sa'ar 6-class missile ships, "protect[ing] strategic maritime assets." Taleblu says that in addition to defending itself, Israel has targeted Iranian ballistic missile storage sites and launching infrastructure. As of Monday, the IDF announced they had destroyed a third of Iranian missile launchers. According to Taleblu, the "longer the conflict continues, the more militarily neutered the Islamic Republic will become," though he notes "that doesn't mean the regime isn't lethal." "Quantity has a quality of its own," Taleblu explained, saying that "Iranian ballistic missile survivability and maneuverability" has allowed projectiles to hit civilian population centers, causing death and "massive disruptions to patterns of life." Taleblu said, "indicating why a regime like this should not be in possession of the biggest ballistic missile arsenal in the region and shall not be permitted to fill up [with] nuclear weapons." As of Tuesday, 24 Israelis have been killed and more than 500 injured by the onslaught of Iranian ballistic missiles.
