Iron Dome
Encyclopedia
Iron Dome is a mobile air defense system in development by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems designed to intercept short-range rocket
s and artillery shells. The system was created as a defensive countermeasure to the rocket threat against Israel's civilian population on its northern and southern borders. It is designed to
intercept very short-range threats up to 70 kilometers in all-weather situations. It was declared operational and initially deployed on March 27, 2011 near Beersheba
. On April 7, 2011, the system successfully intercepted a Grad rocket launched from Gaza
for the first time.
, the country's third largest city. The massive rocket barrage killed 44 Israeli civilians and caused some 250,000 Israeli citizens to evacuate and relocate to other parts of Israel while an estimated 1,000,000 Israelis were confined in or near shelters during the conflict.
To the south, more than 4,000 rockets and 4,000 mortars were fired into Israel from Gaza between 2000 and 2008, principally by Hamas
. Almost all of the rockets fired were Qassams
but Hamas has expanded their range by introducing 122 mm Grad launchers
smuggled into the Gaza Strip. Nearly 1,000,000 Israelis living in the south are within rocket range, posing a serious security threat to the country and its citizens.
In February 2007, Defense Minister Amir Peretz
selected Iron Dome as Israel's defensive solution to this short-range rocket threat. Since then, the $210 million system has been jointly developed with the Israel Defense Forces
.
Iron Dome has three central components:
The system's radar detects the rocket's launch and tracks its trajectory. Then, the BMC calculates the expected hit point according to the reported data, and uses this information to determine whether the target constitutes a threat to a designated area. If so, an interceptor missile is fired to detonate the rocket far from the expected impact area. If it is detected as heading for anywhere other than a designated area, the rocket is allowed to land.
announced that U.S. President Barack Obama
would seek $205 million from U.S. Congress in his 2011 budget, to spur the production and deployment of additional Iron Dome batteries. White House spokesman Tommy Vietor stated, "The president recognizes the threat missiles and rockets fired by Hamas and Hezbollah pose to Israelis, and has therefore decided to seek funding from Congress to support the production of Israel's short range rocket defense system called Iron Dome." This would be the first direct U.S. investment in the project. Such financial assistance could expedite the completion of the defensive system, which has long been delayed by budgetary shortfalls. A few days later, on May 20, 2010, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the funding in a 410-4 vote. The bill, the United States-Israel Missile Defense Cooperation and Support Act (H.R. 5327), was sponsored by Representative Glenn C. Nye of Virginia. This money was expected to be included in the 2011 budget. Once the money is received in 2011, it will still take a further 18 months before the additional batteries are delivered to the air force.
On May 9, 2011, Haaretz
published that Defense Ministry director general Maj. Gen. (res.) Udi Shani said that Israel plans to invest nearly $1 billion in the coming years for the development and production of Iron Dome batteries. "We are no longer approaching this in terms of initial operational capabilities but are defining the final target for absorbing the systems, in terms of schedule and funds. We are talking about [having] 10-15 Iron Dome batteries. We will invest nearly $1 billion on this. This is the goal, in addition to the $205 million that the U.S. government has authorized," Shani said.
. mPrest Systems
, a small company based in a high-tech park in a suburb of Tel Aviv, was put in charge of programming the core of Iron Dome’s battle management system. Iron Dome went from the drawing board to combat readiness within less than four years, a remarkably short period of time for a weapons system designed from scratch, according to military experts.
During the first stage of the Iron Dome's operational duty, the Israeli Air Force was to include a large number of soldiers from Sderot
, citing high motivation among the city's pre-army youth to be part of the project. The 947th "Marksmen" Stinger
Battalion of the Israeli Air Defense Network was chosen as the first unit to become familiar with and operate the Iron Dome.
On July 19, 2010 Israel’s Defense Ministry announced that the system was ready for operational deployment in November. The system was to be initially placed at Sderot
, near the Gaza Strip
.
In March 2011, the Israeli military said that the first deployed system, near Beer Sheva, was operational. In April, another system was deployed near Ashkelon.
On April 7, 2011, after deployment in the previous weekend, the Iron Dome system in the area of Ashkelon
successfully intercepted for the first time a Grad rocket that was fired at the Israeli city. Iron Dome's success marked the first time in history a short-range rocket fired from Gaza was intercepted. According to reports from the area, the interception could be seen in Israeli towns near northern Gaza. The system has been working as an "operational experiment" since April 3. Immediately afterwards, an IAF
aircraft targeted the squad who fired the rocket and confirmed a hit. Later that day, the IDF stressed that the system, though operational, is still under evaluation. On April 8 the system again successfully intercepted 4 additional rockets.
On April 12 the IDF announced it would accelerate the introduction of a third Iron Dome battery. According to Haaretz
, IDF officials indicated that the security establishment intended on taking a series of steps geared at ensuring that the third battery would become available in six months, instead of the expected 18-month waiting period. According to the new plan, launchers from existing systems would be combined with other components that had already been manufactured in order to speed up the battery's production. In that way, the first operational Iron Dome battalion would come into being within six months, with batteries that could then be deployed in the south or in other arenas.
Also according to Haaretz, the IDF is to finalize its long-term Iron Dome acquisition program – nicknamed "Halamish" – within a few months (from April 2011), which would indicate the final number of systems to be introduced into the military. Israel Air Force officials estimate the number of Iron Dome systems needed to cover threatened areas at thirteen. According to Meir Elran, a scholar at the Institute of National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, Israel would need a total of 20 batteries to provide adequate defense for its borders with Gaza and Lebanon. Such a deployment would require financial assistance from the United States, but even in its currently limited form, officially designated a trial period, the system is important, he said.
On 5 August 2011, the IDF redeployed the Iron Dome system near Ashkelon following days of heightened rocket fire from Gaza into Israel. The deployment came a day after Ashkelon Mayor Benny Vaknin sent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak a letter imploring them to redeploy the system.
On 18 August 2011, the system intercepted two rockets fired at Ashkelon, out of four that were fired from Gaza. The system has determined that the other two rockets were directed at non-populated areas and and no interception occurred. No injuries or damage were reported. Defense officials also said that Iron Dome would be re-deployed in Beersheba
.
On 20 August 2011, Iron Dome had its first operational failure. While engaging with a volley of seven rockets fired almost simultaneously at Be'er Sheva from Gaza, one managed to avoid being intercepted by the defense system, exploding in a residential area and killing Yossi Shushan. Brig. Gen. Doron Gavish, commander of the IAF's Air Defense Corps, said on the following day that "we said in advance that this wasn't a hermetic system," adding that the air defense units were learning on the fly and improving the performance of Iron Dome while operating it. "This is the first system of its kind anywhere in the world; it is in its first operational test; and we've already intercepted a large number of rockets targeting Israeli communities, saving many civilian lives," Gavish said.
On 21 August 2011, Ynetnews
reported that the success of the Iron Dome system against Gazan rocket fire has southern city mayors battling over the right to be the next to have it deployed in their area. The IDF stressed that "no system can offer airtight protection" and that the system positioned in Ashkelon was incapable of extending its defense to Ashdod, but this didn't stop the mayors from pressuring the Defense Ministry and the IDF to position Iron Dome batteries within their city limits. Ashdod, Ofakim, Netivot
, Beersheba and Ashkelon have all pursued the system, but the IDF had only two batteries to spare.
Also according to the report, Rafael was set to present the IDF with a third battery no later than October 2011. The defense establishment has decided to put Beersheba and Ashkelon on the top of the systems' recipient list, as they have a tangible risk of rocket fire. Three additional Iron Dome batteries are set to be supplied throughout 2012, at which time the IDF will be able to offer other southern communities better protection. This would also mean that Israel's north and center would remain unprotected.
On the same day, the Jerusalem Post reported that Defense Minister Ehud Barak
announced that a third Iron Dome battery would be installed in the region "within weeks", and estimated that nine more batteries would be positioned within the next two years. In the recent clashes, the Iron Dome system had successfully intercepted about 85% of the rockets launched at Israel from Gaza.
On 23 August 2011, Globes
reported that Rafael will invest tens of millions of shekels in the following months to open a second production line for the Iron Dome's Tamir interceptor missiles. Future operational needs, as well as the plan to build two more Iron Dome batteries by the end of the year, necessitate the increase of missile production.
On 31 August 2011, the IAF deployed a third Iron Dome battery outside Ashdod, two days after Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that it would take an additional 10 days for it to be delivered. Barak praised the IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz, the IAF Air Defense Division and the security establishment for beating the deadline and beginning the deployment before the opening of the school year.
reported that Israeli security sources said that Palestinian militants have changed their rocket-launch tactics in an attempt to evade the two Iron Dome batteries deployed in southern Israel. The new tactics include aiming more frequently at areas beyond the Iron Dome protection range. After the Palestinian launch teams realized that the systems deployed in the previous two weeks around Ashkelon and Be'er Sheva provided near-perfect protection from rockets, they began targeting Ashdod and Ofakim more frequently. When they did aim at Be'er Sheva on 21 August, they didn't fire one or two rockets, as in the past, but rather a volley of seven rockets almost simultaneously. Iron Dome intercepted five of them successfully, but one penetrated the defense system, exploding in a residential area and killing a man.
and Justices Salim Joubran and Uzi Fogelman ruled that in balancing all relevant considerations including budgets, changing security realities and operational matters, the government’s decision not to deploy the Iron Dome in the area was reasonable. The panel of justices also said that the court had no reason to intervene in operational decisions regarding where to deploy the Iron Dome system. “We believe the [government] will make the necessary decisions in accordance with the time and place requirements,” they said.
In its petition, the Eshkol Regional Council
argued that the government should be ordered to deploy the Iron Dome to protect communities located between 4.5 and seven kilometers from Gaza from rocket fire. Government-funded rocket-roof protection is in place for homes in communities located within 4.5 kilometers from Gaza, but not for structures located between 4.5 and seven kilometers from the border.
The state said that the High Court should not intervene in the “military decision” regarding how and where to deploy the anti-rocket system. It also argued that If the court were to order it to deploy Iron Dome in a specific area, budgetary limitations would result in other communities not receiving protection, particularly as the range of Palestinian rockets has grown in recent years and therefore it is not possible to deploy Iron Dome to protect every community.
NATO - On 10 March 2010, the Jerusalem Post reported that the Israeli Ministry of Defense was in talks with a number of European countries about the possible sale of the Iron Dome short-range missile defense system in order to protect NATO forces deployed in Afghanistan
and Iraq
.
South Korea - During a visit to Israel in the summer of 2011, Kwon Oh-bong, vice commissioner of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration in Seoul
, has expressed interest in purchasing the system in order to counter the threat posed by North Korea
n artillery, rockets, and missiles.
United States - On 16 August 2011, Raytheon Company announced that it has teamed with Rafael in order to lead marketing in the United States for the Iron Dome system. “Iron Dome complements other Raytheon weapons that provide intercept capabilities to the US Army’s Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar initiative at forward operating bases,” said Mike Booen, vice president of Raytheon Missile Systems’ Advanced Security and Directed Energy Systems product line. “Iron Dome can be seamlessly integrated with Raytheon’s C-RAM systems to complete the layered defense.”
On 10 November 2011, the Jerusalem Post reported that the US Army has expressed interest in acquiring the system to be deployed outside forward bases in Iraq
and Afghanistan
that could potentially be targeted by Katyusha rockets. The US military has discovered 107 mm. Katyushas in Iraq in the past.
so that launching very large numbers of Qassams could essentially attack Israel's financial means. The estimated cost of the Tamir interceptor missile is $35,000–$50,000, whereas a crudely manufactured Qassam rocket costs around 800 dollars. Rafael has responded that the cost issue is exaggerated since Iron Dome's radar will determine which rockets may hit a populated area and intercept only those rockets that constitute a threat, and that the lives saved and the strategic impact is worth the cost.
Iron Dome has been criticized as ineffective in countering the Qassam threat for the southern city of Sderot, given the short distance and flight time between the heavily targeted city and the rocket launching pads in the Gaza Strip
. Other anti-rocket systems were argued to be more effective, like the Nautilus laser defense system. From 1995 to 2005, the United States
and Israel jointly developed Nautilus but scrapped the system after concluding it was not feasible, having spent $600 Million. The US Navy continued R&D on the system. American defense company Northrop Grumman
has proposed to develop a more advanced prototype of Nautilus, Skyguard
.
Skyguard would use laser beams to intercept rockets, with each beam discharge costing an estimated $1,000–$2,000. With an investment of $180 million, Northrop Grumman claims it could possibly deploy the system within 18 months. Israeli defense officials have rejected the proposal, citing the extended timeline and additional costs. Officials also insist that with recent improvements to Iron Dome, the system is fully able to intercept Qassams.
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
s and artillery shells. The system was created as a defensive countermeasure to the rocket threat against Israel's civilian population on its northern and southern borders. It is designed to
intercept very short-range threats up to 70 kilometers in all-weather situations. It was declared operational and initially deployed on March 27, 2011 near Beersheba
Beersheba
Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300....
. On April 7, 2011, the system successfully intercepted a Grad rocket launched from Gaza
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
for the first time.
Background
During the 2006 Second Lebanon War, approximately 4,000 Hezbollah-fired rockets (the great majority of which were short-range Katyusha rockets) landed in northern Israel, including on HaifaHaifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, the country's third largest city. The massive rocket barrage killed 44 Israeli civilians and caused some 250,000 Israeli citizens to evacuate and relocate to other parts of Israel while an estimated 1,000,000 Israelis were confined in or near shelters during the conflict.
To the south, more than 4,000 rockets and 4,000 mortars were fired into Israel from Gaza between 2000 and 2008, principally by Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
. Almost all of the rockets fired were Qassams
Qassam rocket
The Qassam rocket is a simple steel artillery rocket developed and deployed by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas. Three models have been produced and used between 2001 and 2011....
but Hamas has expanded their range by introducing 122 mm Grad launchers
BM-21
The BM-21 launch vehicle , a Soviet truck-mounted 122 mm multiple rocket launcher, and a M-21OF rocket were developed in the early 1960s. BM stands for boyevaya mashina, ‘combat vehicle’, and the nickname means ‘hail’. The complete system with the BM-21 launch vehicle and the M-21OF rocket...
smuggled into the Gaza Strip. Nearly 1,000,000 Israelis living in the south are within rocket range, posing a serious security threat to the country and its citizens.
In February 2007, Defense Minister Amir Peretz
Amir Peretz
Amir Peretz is an Israeli politician and member of the Knesset for the Labour Party. He is a former Defense Minister of Israel and former leader of the Labour Party, having left those positions in June 2007....
selected Iron Dome as Israel's defensive solution to this short-range rocket threat. Since then, the $210 million system has been jointly developed with the Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
.
Specifications
The system is designed to counter short-range rockets and 155 mm artillery shells with a range of up to 70 kilometers. According to its manufacturer, Iron Dome will operate day and night, under adverse weather conditions, and can respond to multiple threats simultaneously.Iron Dome has three central components:
- Detection & Tracking Radar: the radar system is built by EltaEltaELTA Systems LTD is an Israeli provider of defense products and services specializing in radar, C4ISTAR, RF, SIGINT and EW products.Elta, a group and subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries, is one of Israel's major defence electronics companies specializing in a variety of fields...
, an Israeli defense company - Battle Management & Weapon Control (BMC): the control center is built by mPrest SystemsMPrest SystemsmPrest Systems is a private Israeli company, producing C4I applications. It serves commercial companies as well as military and law enforcement agencies....
, an Israeli software company, for Rafael - Missile Firing Unit: the unit launches the Tamir interceptor missile, equipped with electro-optic sensors and several steering fins for high maneuverability. The missile is built by Rafael.
The system's radar detects the rocket's launch and tracks its trajectory. Then, the BMC calculates the expected hit point according to the reported data, and uses this information to determine whether the target constitutes a threat to a designated area. If so, an interceptor missile is fired to detonate the rocket far from the expected impact area. If it is detected as heading for anywhere other than a designated area, the rocket is allowed to land.
Funding
The funding and development of the Iron Dome system was provided and undertaken solely by Israel. In May 2010, the White HouseWhite House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
announced that U.S. President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
would seek $205 million from U.S. Congress in his 2011 budget, to spur the production and deployment of additional Iron Dome batteries. White House spokesman Tommy Vietor stated, "The president recognizes the threat missiles and rockets fired by Hamas and Hezbollah pose to Israelis, and has therefore decided to seek funding from Congress to support the production of Israel's short range rocket defense system called Iron Dome." This would be the first direct U.S. investment in the project. Such financial assistance could expedite the completion of the defensive system, which has long been delayed by budgetary shortfalls. A few days later, on May 20, 2010, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the funding in a 410-4 vote. The bill, the United States-Israel Missile Defense Cooperation and Support Act (H.R. 5327), was sponsored by Representative Glenn C. Nye of Virginia. This money was expected to be included in the 2011 budget. Once the money is received in 2011, it will still take a further 18 months before the additional batteries are delivered to the air force.
On May 9, 2011, Haaretz
Haaretz
Haaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
published that Defense Ministry director general Maj. Gen. (res.) Udi Shani said that Israel plans to invest nearly $1 billion in the coming years for the development and production of Iron Dome batteries. "We are no longer approaching this in terms of initial operational capabilities but are defining the final target for absorbing the systems, in terms of schedule and funds. We are talking about [having] 10-15 Iron Dome batteries. We will invest nearly $1 billion on this. This is the goal, in addition to the $205 million that the U.S. government has authorized," Shani said.
Design
In 2007, Israel commissioned the development of Iron Dome, choosing an Israeli contractor, Rafael, over the American giant Lockheed MartinLockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
. mPrest Systems
MPrest Systems
mPrest Systems is a private Israeli company, producing C4I applications. It serves commercial companies as well as military and law enforcement agencies....
, a small company based in a high-tech park in a suburb of Tel Aviv, was put in charge of programming the core of Iron Dome’s battle management system. Iron Dome went from the drawing board to combat readiness within less than four years, a remarkably short period of time for a weapons system designed from scratch, according to military experts.
Testing
- July 2008: the Tamir interceptor missile underwent successful testing.
- March 2009: Israel successfully tested the missile defense system, though without yet actually intercepting an actual projectile.
- July 2009: the system successfully intercepted a number of rockets mimicking Qassam and short-range Katyusha rockets in a Defense Ministry test.
- August 2009: the IDF completed the establishment of a new battalion that will operate the Iron Dome system. The battalion is a part of the Israel Air Force's Air Defense DivisionIsraeli Air Defense NetworkThe Israeli Air Defense Command is the Israel Defense Forces unit responsible for the surface front of Israel's air defense, complementing the air defense provided by Israeli Air Force squadrons...
. The system was to be first be deployed along the Gaza border and then along the border with LebanonBlue Line (Lebanon)The Blue Line is a border demarcation between Lebanon and Israel published by the United Nations on 7 June 2000 for the purposes of determining whether Israel had fully withdrawn from Lebanon...
. The system was slated to start operating in mid-2010. - January 2010: Iron Dome successfully intercepted multiple rocket barrages mimicking Qassams and Katyushas. Defense Ministry Director-General Pinhas Buchris stated that the system would ultimately "transform" security for the residents of southern and northern Israel.
- July 2010: The system successfully intercepted multiple rocket barrages mimicking Qassams and Katyushas. During the test, Iron Dome successfully determined which incoming rockets were threats and which were headed toward open fields. The system did not fire at the missiles which did not present a threat.
- March 2011: Iron Dome is declared operational by the IDFIsrael Defense ForcesThe Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
, and Defense Minister Ehud Barak authorizes deployment.
During the first stage of the Iron Dome's operational duty, the Israeli Air Force was to include a large number of soldiers from Sderot
Sderot
Sderot is a western Negev city in the Southern District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 20,700. The city has been an ongoing target of Qassam rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip...
, citing high motivation among the city's pre-army youth to be part of the project. The 947th "Marksmen" Stinger
FIM-92 Stinger
The FIM-92 Stinger is a personal portable infrared homing surface-to-air missile , which can be adapted to fire from ground vehicles and helicopters , developed in the United States and entered into service in 1981. Used by the militaries of the U.S...
Battalion of the Israeli Air Defense Network was chosen as the first unit to become familiar with and operate the Iron Dome.
Deployment
The Iron Dome system began operating in early 2011, initially deployed at air force bases in southern Israel. It was designated to be set up in other areas, such as the town of Sderot, during significant escalations along the Gaza border.On July 19, 2010 Israel’s Defense Ministry announced that the system was ready for operational deployment in November. The system was to be initially placed at Sderot
Sderot
Sderot is a western Negev city in the Southern District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 20,700. The city has been an ongoing target of Qassam rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip...
, near the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
.
In March 2011, the Israeli military said that the first deployed system, near Beer Sheva, was operational. In April, another system was deployed near Ashkelon.
On April 7, 2011, after deployment in the previous weekend, the Iron Dome system in the area of Ashkelon
Ashkelon
Ashkelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Neolithic Age...
successfully intercepted for the first time a Grad rocket that was fired at the Israeli city. Iron Dome's success marked the first time in history a short-range rocket fired from Gaza was intercepted. According to reports from the area, the interception could be seen in Israeli towns near northern Gaza. The system has been working as an "operational experiment" since April 3. Immediately afterwards, an IAF
Israeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
aircraft targeted the squad who fired the rocket and confirmed a hit. Later that day, the IDF stressed that the system, though operational, is still under evaluation. On April 8 the system again successfully intercepted 4 additional rockets.
On April 12 the IDF announced it would accelerate the introduction of a third Iron Dome battery. According to Haaretz
Haaretz
Haaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
, IDF officials indicated that the security establishment intended on taking a series of steps geared at ensuring that the third battery would become available in six months, instead of the expected 18-month waiting period. According to the new plan, launchers from existing systems would be combined with other components that had already been manufactured in order to speed up the battery's production. In that way, the first operational Iron Dome battalion would come into being within six months, with batteries that could then be deployed in the south or in other arenas.
Also according to Haaretz, the IDF is to finalize its long-term Iron Dome acquisition program – nicknamed "Halamish" – within a few months (from April 2011), which would indicate the final number of systems to be introduced into the military. Israel Air Force officials estimate the number of Iron Dome systems needed to cover threatened areas at thirteen. According to Meir Elran, a scholar at the Institute of National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, Israel would need a total of 20 batteries to provide adequate defense for its borders with Gaza and Lebanon. Such a deployment would require financial assistance from the United States, but even in its currently limited form, officially designated a trial period, the system is important, he said.
On 5 August 2011, the IDF redeployed the Iron Dome system near Ashkelon following days of heightened rocket fire from Gaza into Israel. The deployment came a day after Ashkelon Mayor Benny Vaknin sent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak a letter imploring them to redeploy the system.
On 18 August 2011, the system intercepted two rockets fired at Ashkelon, out of four that were fired from Gaza. The system has determined that the other two rockets were directed at non-populated areas and and no interception occurred. No injuries or damage were reported. Defense officials also said that Iron Dome would be re-deployed in Beersheba
Beersheba
Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300....
.
On 20 August 2011, Iron Dome had its first operational failure. While engaging with a volley of seven rockets fired almost simultaneously at Be'er Sheva from Gaza, one managed to avoid being intercepted by the defense system, exploding in a residential area and killing Yossi Shushan. Brig. Gen. Doron Gavish, commander of the IAF's Air Defense Corps, said on the following day that "we said in advance that this wasn't a hermetic system," adding that the air defense units were learning on the fly and improving the performance of Iron Dome while operating it. "This is the first system of its kind anywhere in the world; it is in its first operational test; and we've already intercepted a large number of rockets targeting Israeli communities, saving many civilian lives," Gavish said.
On 21 August 2011, Ynetnews
Ynetnews
Ynetnews is the online English language Israeli news website of Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel’s most-read newspaper, and the Hebrew Israel news portal, Ynet...
reported that the success of the Iron Dome system against Gazan rocket fire has southern city mayors battling over the right to be the next to have it deployed in their area. The IDF stressed that "no system can offer airtight protection" and that the system positioned in Ashkelon was incapable of extending its defense to Ashdod, but this didn't stop the mayors from pressuring the Defense Ministry and the IDF to position Iron Dome batteries within their city limits. Ashdod, Ofakim, Netivot
Netivot
Netivot is a city in the Southern District of Israel in Israel. At the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 26,700. It was founded in 1956 as a development town along with Sderot to the north, and Ofakim to the south...
, Beersheba and Ashkelon have all pursued the system, but the IDF had only two batteries to spare.
Also according to the report, Rafael was set to present the IDF with a third battery no later than October 2011. The defense establishment has decided to put Beersheba and Ashkelon on the top of the systems' recipient list, as they have a tangible risk of rocket fire. Three additional Iron Dome batteries are set to be supplied throughout 2012, at which time the IDF will be able to offer other southern communities better protection. This would also mean that Israel's north and center would remain unprotected.
On the same day, the Jerusalem Post reported that Defense Minister Ehud Barak
Ehud Barak
Ehud Barak is an Israeli politician who served as Prime Minister from 1999 until 2001. He was leader of the Labor Party until January 2011 and holds the posts of Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister in Binyamin Netanyahu's government....
announced that a third Iron Dome battery would be installed in the region "within weeks", and estimated that nine more batteries would be positioned within the next two years. In the recent clashes, the Iron Dome system had successfully intercepted about 85% of the rockets launched at Israel from Gaza.
On 23 August 2011, Globes
Globes
Globes is a Hebrew language daily evening financial newspaper, published in Israel. According to TGI 2009 media survey Globes' market share rose 15% over the year to 4.4%. Its main competitors in printed media are TheMarker of Haaretz group and Calcalist published by Yedioth Ahronoth Group...
reported that Rafael will invest tens of millions of shekels in the following months to open a second production line for the Iron Dome's Tamir interceptor missiles. Future operational needs, as well as the plan to build two more Iron Dome batteries by the end of the year, necessitate the increase of missile production.
On 31 August 2011, the IAF deployed a third Iron Dome battery outside Ashdod, two days after Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that it would take an additional 10 days for it to be delivered. Barak praised the IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz, the IAF Air Defense Division and the security establishment for beating the deadline and beginning the deployment before the opening of the school year.
Reactions by Palestinian militants
On 22 August 2011, HaaretzHaaretz
Haaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
reported that Israeli security sources said that Palestinian militants have changed their rocket-launch tactics in an attempt to evade the two Iron Dome batteries deployed in southern Israel. The new tactics include aiming more frequently at areas beyond the Iron Dome protection range. After the Palestinian launch teams realized that the systems deployed in the previous two weeks around Ashkelon and Be'er Sheva provided near-perfect protection from rockets, they began targeting Ashdod and Ofakim more frequently. When they did aim at Be'er Sheva on 21 August, they didn't fire one or two rockets, as in the past, but rather a volley of seven rockets almost simultaneously. Iron Dome intercepted five of them successfully, but one penetrated the defense system, exploding in a residential area and killing a man.
2011 Supreme Court Decision
On 8 August 2011, the Israeli High Court of Justice rejected a petition asking that the government be ordered to deploy the system in Gaza border communities. In rejecting the petition, Supreme Court President Dorit BeinischDorit Beinisch
Dorit Beinisch is the president of the Supreme Court of Israel. She was appointed to the position on September 14, 2006, after the retirement of Aharon Barak. She is the first woman to serve as president of the Supreme Court.-Biography:...
and Justices Salim Joubran and Uzi Fogelman ruled that in balancing all relevant considerations including budgets, changing security realities and operational matters, the government’s decision not to deploy the Iron Dome in the area was reasonable. The panel of justices also said that the court had no reason to intervene in operational decisions regarding where to deploy the Iron Dome system. “We believe the [government] will make the necessary decisions in accordance with the time and place requirements,” they said.
In its petition, the Eshkol Regional Council
Eshkol Regional Council
The Eshcol Regional Council is a regional council in the north-western Negev, in Israel's Southern District. The regional council's territory lies midway between Ashkelon and Beersheba, bounded on the west by the Gaza Strip while the eastern border abuts the territory of the Bnei Shimon Regional...
argued that the government should be ordered to deploy the Iron Dome to protect communities located between 4.5 and seven kilometers from Gaza from rocket fire. Government-funded rocket-roof protection is in place for homes in communities located within 4.5 kilometers from Gaza, but not for structures located between 4.5 and seven kilometers from the border.
The state said that the High Court should not intervene in the “military decision” regarding how and where to deploy the anti-rocket system. It also argued that If the court were to order it to deploy Iron Dome in a specific area, budgetary limitations would result in other communities not receiving protection, particularly as the range of Palestinian rockets has grown in recent years and therefore it is not possible to deploy Iron Dome to protect every community.
Foreign Procurement
NATO - On 10 March 2010, the Jerusalem Post reported that the Israeli Ministry of Defense was in talks with a number of European countries about the possible sale of the Iron Dome short-range missile defense system in order to protect NATO forces deployed in AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
South Korea - During a visit to Israel in the summer of 2011, Kwon Oh-bong, vice commissioner of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration in SeoulSeoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, has expressed interest in purchasing the system in order to counter the threat posed by North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n artillery, rockets, and missiles.
United States - On 16 August 2011, Raytheon Company announced that it has teamed with Rafael in order to lead marketing in the United States for the Iron Dome system. “Iron Dome complements other Raytheon weapons that provide intercept capabilities to the US Army’s Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar initiative at forward operating bases,” said Mike Booen, vice president of Raytheon Missile Systems’ Advanced Security and Directed Energy Systems product line. “Iron Dome can be seamlessly integrated with Raytheon’s C-RAM systems to complete the layered defense.”On 10 November 2011, the Jerusalem Post reported that the US Army has expressed interest in acquiring the system to be deployed outside forward bases in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
that could potentially be targeted by Katyusha rockets. The US military has discovered 107 mm. Katyushas in Iraq in the past.
Criticism
Iron Dome has been criticized by Reuven Pedatzur, a military analyst, former fighter pilot and professor of political science at Tel Aviv University for costing too much compared to the cost of a Qassam rocketQassam rocket
The Qassam rocket is a simple steel artillery rocket developed and deployed by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas. Three models have been produced and used between 2001 and 2011....
so that launching very large numbers of Qassams could essentially attack Israel's financial means. The estimated cost of the Tamir interceptor missile is $35,000–$50,000, whereas a crudely manufactured Qassam rocket costs around 800 dollars. Rafael has responded that the cost issue is exaggerated since Iron Dome's radar will determine which rockets may hit a populated area and intercept only those rockets that constitute a threat, and that the lives saved and the strategic impact is worth the cost.
Iron Dome has been criticized as ineffective in countering the Qassam threat for the southern city of Sderot, given the short distance and flight time between the heavily targeted city and the rocket launching pads in the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
. Other anti-rocket systems were argued to be more effective, like the Nautilus laser defense system. From 1995 to 2005, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Israel jointly developed Nautilus but scrapped the system after concluding it was not feasible, having spent $600 Million. The US Navy continued R&D on the system. American defense company Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American global aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth-largest defense contractor in the world as of 2010, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over...
has proposed to develop a more advanced prototype of Nautilus, Skyguard
Skyguard (airport defense system)
Skyguard is a laser-based area defense system proposed by Northrop Grumman, to protect airports and other areas against a variety of military threats including short-range ballistic missiles, short- and long-range rockets, artillery shells, mortars, unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles.-See...
.
Skyguard would use laser beams to intercept rockets, with each beam discharge costing an estimated $1,000–$2,000. With an investment of $180 million, Northrop Grumman claims it could possibly deploy the system within 18 months. Israeli defense officials have rejected the proposal, citing the extended timeline and additional costs. Officials also insist that with recent improvements to Iron Dome, the system is fully able to intercept Qassams.
External links
- Official Iron Dome brochure
- Images from testing Nir Dvori, video news story, prime time news on Israeli Channel 2Channel 2 (Israel)Channel 2 is an Israeli commercial television channel.- History :In 1990, after 13 years of deliberations, the Knesset passed a law that paved the way for the establishment of commercial television in Israel. The goal was to enhance pluralism and create competition. Channel 2 began broadcasting on...
, 11 January 2010. - Iron Dome News Updates
- YoutubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
demo video