The Iron Dome system is heavily relied upon by Israel to protect military and civilian sites from the constant barrage of rockets fired from Gaza and Lebanon during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
On October 1, Israel's air defenses were again active when Iran fired missiles at the country in response to the assassination of Iranian-backed militant leaders. The Iranian missile attack was partially thwarted by "a very strong air defense system," according to Israeli Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi.
The system also intercepted more than 200 drones and missiles launched by Iran on April 13.
Israel initially developed the Iron Dome system on its own after the 2006 Lebanon war. The US later joined in developing the system with billions of dollars in financial support.
According to Israeli defense company Rafael, which helped design Iron Dome, the system has an interception rate of about 90%. So how does Iron Dome work?
Israel's Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept missiles launched from Lebanon. Photo: AP
Three part system
Iron Dome is part of Israel's multi-layered missile defense system and is designed to intercept short-range rockets at ranges of up to 70 km.
Each Iron Dome system consists of three main parts: a radar detection system, a computer that calculates the trajectory of an incoming missile, and a launcher that fires an interceptor missile if the missile is believed to be likely to hit a strategic or populated area.
The system is used in conjunction with other missile defense systems such as Arrow, which is capable of countering ballistic missiles, and David's Sling, which is used to shoot down medium-range missiles or rockets.
How much does it cost?
According to the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, a complete Iron Dome system, including radar, computers and 3-4 launchers, each containing up to 20 interceptor missiles, costs about $100 million to produce.
According to Raytheon, which helps produce Iron Dome, Israel has 10 such systems in operation. Other estimates put the number slightly higher.
Iron Dome is one of the strategic pillars of the US-Israel alliance that has been followed by successive Democratic and Republican administrations. In August 2019, the US military signed a contract to purchase two Iron Dome systems to enhance its short-range missile defense capabilities.
Ngoc Anh (according to AFP)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/vom-sat-la-chan-chong-ten-lua-quan-trong-cua-israel-post314891.html
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