Israel's IDF Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani announced in a press statement on March 22 that Iran had fired more than 400 ballistic missiles at Israel, with approximately 92% of the projectiles intercepted.

However, several Iranian missiles breached Israel's defences, causing devastating damage and raising questions about the air defence system's tactical deployment decisions.

Nearly 200 people were injured by strikes on Dimona and Arad in southern Israel on March 21, ambulance service Magen David Adom confirmed.

Iranian media claimed the strikes targeted Israel's nuclear research facility, located approximately 30km from Arad and 10km from Dimona, alleging that the attack was a retaliation for an alleged US strike on the Natanz uranium enrichment facility.

Footage from the strike on Dimona, as well as the resulting damage, has since been circulated.

The defence system breaches have intensified concerns about Israel's reliance on David's Sling interceptors against threats that the system may not be optimally designed to counter. Israel's multi-layered defence architecture assigns specific roles to each system.

Israel's Iron Dome handles short-range threats, David's Sling addresses intermediate-layer rockets and cruise missiles, whilst Arrow 3 intercepts ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere at high altitudes. This layering aims to destroy Iranian ballistic missiles, whether carrying half-ton explosive warheads or "dispersal" warheads with dozens of submunitions, before they can threaten Israeli territory.

The Air Force has attempted to expand David's Sling's operational envelope to intercept Iranian ballistic missiles, reducing dependence on more expensive Arrow 3 interceptors. The Ministry of Defence and Rafael Advanced Defence Systems announced in a press release the successful completion of David's Sling upgrade tests two weeks before the Israel-Iran war broke out, describing "new capabilities in a wide range of challenging scenarios" based on lessons from earlier engagements. David's Sling missiles cost approximately ILS 1mn ($318,023), compared to just over ILS 2mn for Arrow 3 interceptors ($636,045).

Yet attempts to intercept the Dimona and Arad strikes using David's Sling failed. The Israeli Air Force maintained this was not a system failure, noting that "Qadr" type missiles had been successfully intercepted previously using the same defence system. Former Air Defence Commander Brigadier General Ran Kochav acknowledged the system's limitations when high-altitude interception opportunities are missed. "You can try to intercept large interception fragments or a small portion of the submunitions. It's better than nothing," he told Calcalist.

Security officials have criticised the air defence system's recent tactical choices. One official told Calcalist: "The ultimate answer is the Arrow 3 system, and that's what it was developed for. You can try and expand the capabilities of David's Sling as much as you want, but to provide protection from Iranian missiles, you have to intercept them outside the atmosphere."

The "firework clouds" visible in Israeli skies result from the dispersal of submunitions released at 7km to 8km altitude after missed high-altitude interceptions. The Air Defence System's interception decisions are guided by the policy determined by the Air Force Commander, who weighs considerations such as interceptor stockpiles, battery availability, and strategic issues.