The U.S. Interceptor Shortage and Its Impact
The U.S. interceptor shortage impacts both the response to the Houthi threat and the sleep of millions of Israelis.
Israel and the U.S. are cooperating to address the Houthi threat. However, due to a shortage of interceptors in the U.S. Navy, some missiles are not intercepted far from Israel's borders. This leads to the activation of sirens in Israel, requiring the Israeli Air Force's air defense system to neutralize these threats.
Even the mighty America faces challenges in managing its armament economy. How did it come to this point? Since the early stages of the war, the U.S. has deployed aircraft carriers and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian Sea. These destroyers carry Standard Missile (SM) interceptors capable of neutralizing Houthi-launched missiles during their ascent phase, long before they reach Israel.
These interceptors are quite expensive, costing several million dollars each (more than the Arrow system, though not necessarily superior). However, the shortage isn't due to financial constraints. Throughout the war, American destroyers have had to fire large quantities of these missiles to protect themselves, the aircraft carriers, commercial vessels targeted by the Houthis, and Israel. Additionally, the U.S. assisted Israel in countering Iranian attacks using SM missiles.
These missiles are manufactured by RTX, formerly Raytheon, one of the world's largest defense contractors. Due to their complexity, RTX produces only a few hundred of these missiles each year. The U.S. wasn't prepared for the scenario of two prolonged wars in different parts of the world simultaneously—the war in Ukraine and the war in the Middle East.
Moreover, stock management is also influenced by the possibility of escalation in the Pacific region, between China and Taiwan. Add to this the fact that more than 10 other countries, in addition to the U.S. Navy, have pre-ordered SM interceptors, and you have a shortage of this type of interceptor.
This is likely one of the reasons the U.S. deployed the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in Israel. THAAD can also intercept ballistic missiles, but since it is ground-based, it does so toward the end of their flight path—in other words, it doesn’t "prevent" the alarms from sounding.
In conclusion, this isn't a 'punishment' by the Biden administration against Israel. The U.S. continues to assist in defense, though their capabilities have diminished, impacting the sleep of many until the Houthi threat is dismantled.
(Tamir Morag on X)
✍️ @beholdisraelchannel
🇮🇷❌👑👑❗️ — Videos coming out of Iran, after the Internet ban, share some of the most gruesome and terrific images so far in this protest season
At least 10 protesters in Fardis, Karaj area of Alborz province of Iran, West of Tehran, were reportedly killed by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Troops under orders of the Islamic Republic Regime in Iran.
According to reports from netizens via Musk's Starlink, dozens of other deaths are being reported as having occurred in other locations on Iranian soil.
In one of the videos, it's possible hear in Persian/Farsi:
"Right in front of Fardis Police Station No. 11, a Toyota was pulled up and sprayed with gunfire.
People were mowed down with heavy weapons, machine-gun fire, indiscriminately."
🇻🇪 Call of Duty: Ghosts, PC Game, was released 12 years ago when Venzuela Maduro started his Presidency.
🇺🇸 In the game, US Military raid Venezuela at night and capture the Venezuelan Dictator.
In the game, it says this Event happens in the Year 2026.
🇬🇧 The Prevent video game that treats every teenager like a far-Right extremist
Youngsters threatened with referral to anti-terror programme if they question migration while playing
A state-funded computer game is warning teenagers that they risk being referred to a counter-terrorism programme if they question mass migration.
Pathways is an interactive game designed for 11- to 18-year-old pupils and funded by Prevent, a Home Office programme for tackling extremism.
Young players are directed to help their in-game characters – a white teenage boy and girl – to avoid being reported for “extreme Right-wing ideology” after discussing migration online.
Characters can face extremism referrals if they choose to engage with groups that spread “harmful ideological messages”, or join protests against the “erosion of British values”. Even researching online immigration statistics is portrayed negatively.
Other in-game pitfalls include sharing a video that claims Muslim men,...
IT KEEPS GETTING WORSE: A BURIED CIA VIDEO JUST SURFACED… AND ERIKA KIRK IS IN IT
https://x.com/hustlebitch_/status/2009688114923745442?s=46
A 10-year-old documentary about EMP attacks and U.S. power grid vulnerability has quietly surfaced - and buried inside it is Erika Kirk.
She’s not observing.
She’s not a host.
She’s in a role most civilians never get near, briefing national security professionals alongside a former CIA National Security & Energy Specialist on how an EMP or coordinated physical attack could collapse the U.S. power grid.
This isn’t casual footage.
It’s technical.
It’s inside-baseball.
And it’s the exact kind of material most people never get near, let alone present.
Which raises some very uncomfortable questions:
Why was she in that role?
What qualified her to brief on national security threats?
Who brought her into that room, and why is none of it explained?
Back then, this clip passed quietly. Today, with everything surrounding her, it ...