{"slug":"missile-defense-systems-compared-iron-dome-patriot-s-400-thaad","title":"Iron Dome vs S-400 vs Patriot vs THAAD: Missile Defense Systems Compared","excerpt":"From Israel's Iron Dome to Russia's S-400, we compare the world's most important air defense systems across range, capability, combat record, and cost.","content":"## Missile Defense Systems Compared: 2026 Guide\n\nWith Iran launching thousands of missiles and drones, air defense has never been more relevant. Here's how the world's top systems compare.\n\n### Quick Comparison\n\n| System | Country | Range | Primary Target | Combat Proven | Cost per Battery |\n|--------|---------|-------|---------------|---------------|------------------|\n| Iron Dome | Israel | 4-70 km | Rockets, drones | Yes (10,000+ intercepts) | $50M |\n| David's Sling | Israel | 40-300 km | Cruise missiles | Yes | $200M |\n| Arrow 3 | Israel | 2,400 km (exo-atmospheric) | Ballistic missiles | Yes | $300M+ |\n| Patriot PAC-3 MSE | USA | 160 km | Aircraft, ballistic missiles | Yes | $1B+ |\n| THAAD | USA | 200 km | Ballistic missiles (terminal) | Yes (limited) | $2B+ |\n| S-400 Triumf | Russia | 400 km | Aircraft, ballistic missiles | Limited | $500M |\n| S-300PMU-2 | Russia | 200 km | Aircraft, cruise missiles | Limited (poor in Syria) | $300M |\n\n### Israel's Layered Defense — The Gold Standard\n\nIsrael operates the world's only multi-layered missile defense:\n\n**Layer 1: Iron Dome** — see [Iron Dome vs S-400](/compare/iron-dome-vs-s-400)\n- Intercepts short-range rockets (4-70 km)\n- 90%+ success rate against Hamas/Hezbollah rockets\n- AI-based threat assessment (ignores rockets heading for empty areas)\n\n**Layer 2: David's Sling**\n- Intercepts cruise missiles and large rockets (40-300 km)\n- Fills the gap between Iron Dome and Arrow\n- Used against Iranian cruise missiles\n\n**Layer 3: Arrow 2/3**\n- Intercepts ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere\n- Arrow 3 can intercept in space (exo-atmospheric)\n- First operational space-interceptor system\n\n### US Systems\n\n**Patriot PAC-3 MSE** — see [Patriot vs S-300](/compare/patriot-vs-s-300)\n- Hit-to-kill interceptor (no warhead, pure kinetic energy)\n- Combat-proven against ballistic missiles in Ukraine and Middle East\n- NATO standard air defense\n\n**THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense)**\n- Intercepts ballistic missiles in terminal phase\n- Higher altitude than Patriot (150 km)\n- Deployed to protect US bases and allies\n- Never used in actual combat against ballistic missiles\n\n### Russian Systems\n\n**S-400 Triumf**\n- Longest range (400 km claimed)\n- Sold to China, India, Turkey\n- Unproven against stealth aircraft or peer adversary\n- Theoretical specs may exceed actual performance\n\n**S-300PMU-2**\n- Iran's primary long-range air defense\n- Failed to prevent Israeli strikes in Syria\n- Operator skill matters as much as hardware\n\n### Key Takeaways\n\n- **Israel has the most proven defense** with 10,000+ real interceptions\n- **US Patriot** is the most combat-proven long-range system\n- **Russian S-400** has impressive specs but lacks combat validation against peers\n- **No single system is enough** — layered defense is essential\n- **Mass salvos can overwhelm any defense** — Iran's 3,000+ missile strategy is designed to saturate\n\n## Conclusion\n\nIsrael's layered approach (Iron Dome + David's Sling + Arrow) is the model the world is following. No defense is perfect against thousands of simultaneous missiles, but these systems dramatically reduce the damage from missile attacks.\n\n---\n\n*This article is for informational and educational purposes only. System capabilities are based on publicly available data and may not reflect classified performance.*","category":"technology","tags":["iron-dome","s-400","patriot","thaad","missile-defense","air-defense","military","2026"],"url":"https://www.aversusb.net/blog/missile-defense-systems-compared-iron-dome-patriot-s-400-thaad","publishedAt":"2026-03-21T00:00:00Z","updatedAt":"2026-03-21T00:00:00Z","articleSchema":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/blog/missile-defense-systems-compared-iron-dome-patriot-s-400-thaad#article","headline":"Iron Dome vs S-400 vs Patriot vs THAAD: Missile Defense Systems Compared","description":"From Israel's Iron Dome to Russia's S-400, we compare the world's most important air defense systems across range, capability, combat record, and cost.","abstract":"From Israel's Iron Dome to Russia's S-400, we compare the world's most important air defense systems across range, capability, combat record, and cost.","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/blog/missile-defense-systems-compared-iron-dome-patriot-s-400-thaad","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/blog/missile-defense-systems-compared-iron-dome-patriot-s-400-thaad#primaryImage","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/og?title=Iron%20Dome%20vs%20S-400%20vs%20Patriot%20vs%20THAAD%3A%20Missile%20Defense%20Systems%20Compared&type=blog","contentUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/og?title=Iron%20Dome%20vs%20S-400%20vs%20Patriot%20vs%20THAAD%3A%20Missile%20Defense%20Systems%20Compared&type=blog","width":1200,"height":630,"caption":"Iron Dome vs S-400 vs Patriot vs THAAD: Missile Defense Systems Compared"},"thumbnailUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/og?title=Iron%20Dome%20vs%20S-400%20vs%20Patriot%20vs%20THAAD%3A%20Missile%20Defense%20Systems%20Compared&type=blog","contentReferenceTime":"2026-03-21T00:00:00.000Z","datePublished":"2026-03-21T00:00:00Z","dateCreated":"2026-03-21T00:00:00Z","dateModified":"2026-03-21T00:00:00Z","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"},"inLanguage":"en-US","isPartOf":{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#website"},"keywords":"iron-dome, s-400, patriot, thaad, missile-defense, air-defense, military, 2026","articleSection":"technology","wordCount":523,"license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/","speakable":{"@type":"SpeakableSpecification","cssSelector":["h1",".article-excerpt",".article-intro","#article-summary"]},"accessMode":["textual"],"accessModeSufficient":[{"@type":"ItemList","itemListElement":["textual"]}],"isAccessibleForFree":true}}