File image.
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) announced late on June 20 that it had intercepted 15 suicide drones launched from Iran at Israel since the morning.
The drones were shot down by fighter jets, attack helicopters, as well as ground-based air defense systems, according to the air force.
Earlier in the day, the IAF announced that it had used for the first time a ground-based Barak air defense system to take down an Iranian drone. The air force didn’t specify which version was used. While all Barak systems use missiles guided via active radar homing, the range varies from 35 to 70, all the way up to 150 kilometers depending on the version.
Not all the interceptions took over Israeli territories. A video taken over the southern Syrian governorate of Daraa in the morning showed an F-16 fighter jet of the IAF taking down an Iranian drone using an what appears to be an air-to-air missile.
Shahed-136 and Arash-2 drones were among those shot down during the day. The first has a range of 2,500 kilometers and a warhead weighing 50 kg, while the second has a range of just 2,000 kilometers but can carry a warhead weighing as much as 150 kg. Both drones utilize a satellite-aided inertial navigation system.
According to the Israeli military, Iran has launched more than 450 ballistic missiles and 1,000 suicide drones since the start of the Israeli attack on its nuclear program, codenamed Operation Rising Lion on June 13.
The retaliatory attacks claimed the lives of 25 people and left more than 500 others wounded in Israel. None of the casualties were caused by drones.
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