Horrible! This is how the ballistic missile works that is difficult to intercept by the Hanud system

Illustration of how ballistic missiles work (antaranews)

YOGYAKARTA - Escalation of the conflict in the Middle East is getting hotter after a massive missile attack involving Iran, Israel, and the United States in early March 2026. So how does the ballistic missile work that is now the main weapon?

Its incredible speed and destructive power make this weapon a defense tool as well as a global threat. Interestingly, its movement mechanism is very different from cruise missiles that fly low following the contours of the earth's surface.

Missile Threat from Tehran Skies

The recent rain of missiles hitting the Gulf region shows how crucial the mastery of space technology is in the modern military.

The latest report says hundreds of projectiles were launched in minutes to penetrate even the most dense air defense systems. This situation forced many countries to review their defense strategies.

For those of you who observe geopolitical dynamics, understanding the technicalities behind these weapons will give you an idea of why intercepting ballistic missiles is so difficult to do perfectly.

Read also: What is a Ballistic Missile? This is the Definition, Type, and Country that Owns It

Understanding How Ballistic Missiles Work

Distilled from The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance and Aljazeera websites, here are some interesting facts about ballistic missiles:

Definition and Main Characteristics

Fundamentally, a ballistic missile is a weapon designed to deliver a warhead through a curved or parabolic trajectory. This weapon does not fly like an airplane, but rather resembles a ball thrown with a very powerful rocket power.

The main difference with cruise missiles lies in the navigation system. If cruise missiles are continuously guided along their flight path, ballistic missiles are only guided in the initial launch phase.

Then the rest of the ballistic missile's journey will be heavily influenced by Earth's gravity and pure physics.

Launch Phase (Boost Phase)

The first stage in the ballistic missile's working procedure begins with a very powerful rocket engine thrust. This engine has to work hard to carry the warhead load out of the thick Earth's atmosphere layer into the vacuum.

The process of burning this fuel usually lasts a short time, and only takes a few minutes. However, the energy generated is enough to provide the initial speed needed for the missile to reach suborbital altitude before falling back.

Intermediate Phase and Re-entry

After the engine shuts down, the missile enters the longest phase in the vacuum. Here, the missile glides without engine power and relies only on inertia. At this stage, the missile is at its highest point before gravity pulls it back to the surface.

The most dangerous phase occurs when the missile re-enters the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds.

Air friction creates extreme heat, so special protection is needed so that the warhead does not disintegrate before reaching the specified target coordinates.

Classification of Missiles Based on Range

You also need to know that these missiles are categorized based on how far they can fly. There are short-range to intercontinental types that are able to cross the ocean in a short time, among them

Short Range Ballistic Missile (SRBM), with a range < 1,000 kmMedium Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM), with a range of 1,000 - 3,000 kmIntercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), with a range > 5,500 kmWhy is Ballistic Missile Difficult to Intercept?

The main reason why this weapon is so feared is the combination of high speed and extreme trajectory. Air defense systems (hanud) often have to work extra hard because the reaction time available is very narrow for radar operators.

Some advanced missiles are even equipped with decoys to fool the opponent's sensors. This certainly makes the trajectory of the missile more difficult to predict and makes interception an enormous technological challenge.

Deep understanding of how ballistic missiles work provides a new perspective on how complex global defense technology is today. Make sure you keep up to date with the latest international security issues and technology only on VOI's main page.