Israel's new cutting edge defence system will shoot down hypersonic missiles at 4,000mph

Israel will begin to roll out its latest air defence system. (Image: Getty)

Israel has claimed to have developed a state-of-the-art advanced missile interceptor, which will be ready to deploy and shoot down hypersonic missiles travelling at 4,000mph or more.

The Arrow-4 air defence system, an upgrade to the current Arrow-3 and Arrow-2 models, "will focus on shorter-range threats with improved targeting precision," according to the CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries, Boaz Levy. An exact date of deployment has not been given but it is understood to be 'imminent', coming weeks after Iran shelled Israeli cities with missiles, killing 28 civilians and one off-duty soldier, and hospitalising 3,238, according to the Times of Israel.

These strikes were during the twelve-day conflict between the two Middle Eastern nations, which began on June 13, with Israel preemptively striking Tehran, citing fears its rival was close to producing a nuclear weapon, an incorrect claim. Reports assess Israel's Arrow set-up, alongside its other air defences such as the Iron Dome, were able to intercept 85% of Iran's missiles, limiting successful launches to around 50 rockets.

Iran and Israel traded hundreds of missile launches during the conflict (Image: Getty)

Meanwhile, US-based Human Rights Activists estimated that Israeli strikes killed 900 people and wounded over 3,000 in Iran. Arrow-4 is to be integrated with these existing defence systems, predicted to take roughly two years to be fully incorporated into the Israeli military.

It has been developed based on the 'shoot-look-shoot' operational theory, meaning it can alter its course after launch to target specific targets with its improved seeking system and warhead technology. This added layer of security will deter some of the country's rivals' most advanced missiles by potentially neutralising threats travelling at hypersonic speed.

Hypersonic missiles are a variety of advanced weapons that travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5, five times the speed of sound. These weapons' added manoeuvrability and high speeds make them harder for enemy defences to intercept, posing a greater chance of striking targets.

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Only a handful of nations are believed to have the technology, with Iran claiming to be among them and stating they successfully used their Fattah missile against Israel during the June conflict.

The United States, Russia and China are known to possess hypersonic missiles, while India and North Korea have claimed to have conducted hypersonic tests. The UK and Australia, in conjunction with the US, are in the process of developing the weapons.

Despite the latest advancement, Israel has confirmed the Arrow-5 upgraded system is in the pipeline, eventually replacing the Arrow-3 model.