"Anything you shoot up in the air eventually falls, and when you shoot at the enemy, it falls on the other side," Dr. Uzi Rubin told Israel Hayom on Wednesday following unconfirmed reports that an interceptor missile from the David's Sling system has fallen into Russian hands.
"I assume that there are dozens of fragments of Israeli missiles in the areas where we have attacked," Rubin adds.
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Rubin founded the Defense Ministry's Homa Directorate, which develops missile defense systems, and served as its head from 1991-1999. He then went on to manage the development of various weapons systems for the Israeli Aerospace Industries and for the Defense Ministry. He was been awarded the Israel Defense Prize twice, as well as the US Missile Defense Agency "David Israel" Prize.
"Every army in the world takes into account that a missile fired at the other side will fall into enemy hands. In effect, the only surprise [with the David's Sling interceptor] is that it fell into Russia's hands, and not Iran's. This is good news for us," Rubin says.
According to the veteran defense expert, the IDF has examined the various projectiles aimed at Israel over the years. He thinks this includes an Iranian drone that Israel shot down two years ago.
"I assume they collected the pieces. This is a standard, accepted practice for every army and defense establishment. We learn from everything that lands here," he says.
Rubin also notes that unlike the Syrians or the Iranians, Russia has missile expertise, so it would be hard to believe they'll be surprised at what they see.
"It fell into Russia's hands, and not Iran's. This is good news for us"
According to Rubin, not long ago Russian President Vladimir Putin unveiled missiles that had "some parts that were better than the Americans'."
Rubin rejects claims that the Israeli interceptor landed without sustaining damage, calling such a scenario "virtually impossible."
"There is no such thing as a missile that lands intact, and even when the missile doesn't hit its target, it doesn't stay complete and hits the ground with immense force."
Rubin says that even if the missile is broken, it could still be examined and studied.
"Every missile can be analyzed," he says.
While it's "not pleasant" for Israelis to hear reports that one of our missiles has been captured, "it should come as no surprise," Rubin adds. "It's something that should be taken into account. Anything you shoot over the border will be captured, and we need to expect that.
"This is not something specific to Israel. If the Russians shot missiles at the United States, the Americans would rush to examine the fragments," he says.
