The Iron Dome is an air and missile defense system developed by Israel-based defense company Rafael and commissioned by the Israeli government. Iron Dome was developed to intercept enemy rockets in response to their favored use by terrorist organizations such as Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The Iron Dome's initial deployment was in 2011, just before Operation Pillar of Defense. 10 batteries came into service with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) by 2021. The US military has partnered with Israel to manufacture and develop aspects of the system, with an eye toward adopting the platform itself.
Each Iron Dome battery consists of three parts, a detection system, a command post, and launch tubes. When an enemy launches a rocket, the battery detects the projectile, and determines if the trajectory of an enemy rocket poses a threat, so teams engage only if there is imminent danger to a population center. A Tamir interceptor missile is then launched at the target, and knocks it from the sky. Usually, a single Tamir missile is launched per interception, but for heavier rockets, two Tamirs are launched for each interception. Each battery can hold 20 missiles at a time.
The system has undergone significant improvement since it was first introduced. In May 2021 the IDF reported that the Iron Dome boasted a 90% interception rate. The defense system has also since been used to intercept more than just rockets -- it has successfully stopped mortar bombs and drones.
Each battery is estimated to cost as much as $50 million. Many estimates for the cost of Tamir interceptors are around $40,000-$50,000, but an American army missile budget listed each unit at around $163,000. This means an interception could cost as little as $40,000 and as much as $326,000.
Iron Dome is not a hermetic seal, and while it has successfully intercepted hundreds of rockets, terrorist organizations have adjusted their practices to capitalize on the system's weaknesses. Sufficiently sized rocket barrages can overwhelm the limited capacity of the Iron Dome.
Of those who invented the Iron Dome, he said that they are “geniuses” and that “these are not muscle guys here,” he said pointing at his arms.
The IDF reported responding to two separate threats originating from within Lebanon on Friday.
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The IDF aims to cancel the reduction in service length, establish an intelligence command for the Gaza Strip, and invest in an aerial and ground laser system.
The Iron Dome air defense system has intercepted more than 2,000 rockets and mortars since the Hamas attack on October 7. Here are the men and women who make the system hum every day.
It's still unclear the scope of Hamas's defeat as more information comes out.
The system does not use any explosives but rather relies purely on the damage done by interception. The Arrow 2, by contrast, carries a warhead that destroys the missile using an explosive charge.
The IDF said that to date 12% of Hamas rockets, or around 900, have fallen in Gaza.
The Iron Dome received the Israel Defense Prize in 2012 and in recognition of his work, Gold was invited to light a torch in the 2015 annual Independence Day ceremony.
As per the report, the package would also include funds for some 14,000 interceptors, giving the IDF the ability to operate "conservatively, 25 new batteries" across Israel.