Iron Dome; It is a portable air defense system developed by the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries. This system is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells fired from distances between 4 and 70 kilometers. Israel uses it as an advanced air defense measure against rockets and air attacks from Gaza and the West Bank. The system entered service in 2011 and has successfully stopped 8 out of every 10 missiles launched since then.
Iron Dome was developed to take precautions against rocket attacks by Hamas and other resistance groups. After it came into service in 2011, it effectively stopped rockets launched from Gaza and successfully fulfilled its purpose of protecting Israel’s living center. The United States contributed a total of US$1.6 billion to the Iron Dome defense system from 2011 to 2021, and an additional support package was approved in 2022.
The system is also positioned as part of Israel’s multi-layered missile defense system, other components include Arrow 2, Arrow 3, Iron Beam, Barak 8 and David’s Sling. In the future, Iron Dome batteries are planned to be deployed on Sa’ar 6-class offshore corvettes, which will increase Israel’s ability to protect offshore gas platforms.
Technical Specifications of Iron Dome
The Iron Dome system is specifically designed to resist short-range rockets and 155 mm artillery shells with a range of 70 kilometers. According to its manufacturer, this system can operate actively day and night in adverse weather conditions and effectively respond to multiple threats simultaneously.
Iron Dome has three basic components:
Detection and Tracking Radar: This radar system was developed by the IDF, a subsidiary of the Israeli Defense company Elta and Israel Aerospace Industries. This radar detects the launched rocket and tracks its trajectory.
Battle Management and Arms Control (BMC): It was built for Rafael by mPrest Systems, an Israeli software company. BMC calculates the point of impact based on the reported data and uses this information to evaluate whether the target poses a threat to the specified area.
Missile Firing Unit: The system launches repair missiles equipped with electro-optical sensors and several highly maneuverable guidance wings. These missiles are manufactured by Rafael.
The radar called EL/M-2084 in the system detects and tracks the launched rocket. Based on this data, BMC calculates the impact point and when a threat is detected, it fires a missile and performs the task of destroying the incoming rocket before it reaches the predicted impact point. This integrated functioning allows Iron Dome to function as an effective air defense system.
How Does Iron Dome Work?
The main function of the system is to neutralize rockets launched from the opposing country. This three-component system includes the radar, control-command unit and missile launcher. Firstly, it is used to detect rockets fired from the opposite side. Then, using advanced software, it calculates the rocket’s path and its landing position. This information is used to neutralize the rocket with a missile launched from the nearest unit. The tactic developed by Hamas towards Israeli airspace includes the strategy of launching large numbers of rockets to neutralize the Iron Dome system.
Countries to which Israel Sells Iron Dome
Israel has sold the Iron Dome defense system to various countries. Here are some examples of these countries and their sales:
Azerbaijan: Israel sold the Iron Dome system to Azerbaijan. This sale took place in 2016 and was made as a measure against the defense system Azerbaijan received from Russia.
India: India followed the Iron Dome system closely and purchased the system with a $2 billion deal in 2017. India aimed to increase its own security with this defense system.
Romania: Israel sold the Iron Dome system by making an agreement with Romania in 2018. With this agreement, Romania aimed to strengthen its own defense capacity.
The United States provides significant financial support to Israel’s Iron Dome system. Despite its high cost, the United States has undertaken to finance one half of this defense system and has committed to contribute $429 million to the program. Rafael Advanced Defense Systems company announced that they delivered 2 Iron Dome batteries to the USA. Additionally, with an agreement made in 2014, it was stated that some important parts of the Iron Dome missile would be produced in the USA. This situation stands out as an important element of military cooperation between Israel and the USA.
