In the context of the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, it is widely used to protect military and civilian installations from frequent rocket attacks from Gaza and Lebanon.
Israel initially built the “Iron Dome” on its own after the 2006 Lebanon War, but the United States later joined the project, providing defense expertise and billions of dollars in financial aid.
According to Rafael, an Israeli military company that participated in its program, the system has an interception rate of about 90%.
This is its structure and function:
A three-part system
“Iron Dome” is one of the components of the Israeli missile defense system, which consists of several levels. It is designed to shoot down rockets with a range of up to 70 km.
Each battery in this “Iron Dome” consists of three main parts: a radar detection system, a computer that calculates the path of an approaching rocket, and a launcher that fires interceptors if the rocket is likely to hit a built-up area. or strategic.
In addition, Israel has other anti-missile systems, such as the Arrow and David Sling systems, which work against ballistic missiles, and whose purpose is to neutralize attacks by rockets or medium-range missiles.
How much does it cost?
According to the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, the production of each “Iron Dome” interceptor costs between 40 thousand and 50 thousand dollars.
The agency estimates that manufacturing a complete system — radar, computer and three or four launchers — with 20 interceptors each — would cost about $100 million.
According to the US aeronautics and defense group RTX, which is participating in the construction of the “Iron Dome”, Israel has 10 systems of this type. According to other estimates, the number may be slightly higher.
US support
The “Iron Dome” system is one of the strategic pillars of the alliance between the United States and Israel, supported by successive Democratic and Republican administrations.
In August 2019, the US military signed a contract to purchase two “Iron Dome” batteries to bolster its own short-range missile defense capabilities.
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