Jerusalem:
Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system has intercepted thousands of rockets since it began operating in 2011, providing critical cover for the country during times of conflict.
The facility has been relied upon heavily to protect military and civilian installations from frequent barrages of rocket fire from Gaza and Lebanon in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
Israel’s air defense systems were active Tuesday night when Iran fired missiles at Israel in retaliation for Israel’s killing of a Tehran-backed militant leader.
Israeli military commander Helj Halevi said on Tuesday that Iranian military fire had been partially blunted by “very strong air defenses.”
The system also intercepted more than 200 drones and missiles launched by Iran on April 13.
Israel initially developed Iron Dome alone after the 2006 Lebanon War, but the United States later joined in, lending defense know-how and billions of dollars in financial support to the project.
The system has an intercept rate of about 90 percent, according to Israeli defense company Rafael, which helped design it.
Here’s how it works:
three-part system
Iron Dome is part of Israel’s multi-layered missile defense system and is designed to intercept short-range rockets at distances of up to 70 kilometers (43 miles).
Each Iron Dome battery is equipped with three components: a radar detection system, a computer that calculates the trajectory of an incoming rocket, and a launcher that fires an interceptor if it is determined that the rocket is likely to hit an urban or strategic area. It consists of main sections.
It is installed alongside other missile defense systems such as the Arrow, which counters ballistic missiles, and the David Sling, which is used to attack medium-range rockets and missiles.
How much does it cost?
Each Iron Dome interceptor costs between $40,000 and $50,000 to manufacture, according to the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The think tank estimates that the complete system, which includes a radar, computer and three to four launchers with up to 20 interceptors on each launcher, will cost about $100 million to build.
Raytheon, which is helping build Iron Dome, says it has 10 such systems in operation in Israel. Other estimates put the figure slightly higher.
US bipartisan support
Iron Dome is one of the strategic pillars of the US-Israel alliance, which has been maintained under successive Democratic and Republican administrations.
In August 2019, the U.S. Army signed a contract to purchase two Iron Dome batteries to strengthen its short-range missile defense capabilities.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
