Jerusalem:
Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system has intercepted thousands of rockets since it went live in 2011, providing the country with crucial cover during conflicts.
It is heavily relied on to protect military and civilian targets from frequent rocket fire fired from Gaza and Lebanon in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
Israel’s air defenses were in action on Tuesday evening when Iran fired missiles at Israel in response to Israel’s killing of Tehran-backed rebel leaders.
Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi said on Tuesday that the Iranian barrage was partially blunted by “very strong air defenses”.
The system also intercepted more than 200 drones and missiles fired by Iran on April 13.
Israel initially developed Iron Dome alone after the 2006 Lebanon War and was later joined by the United States, which provided its defense know-how and billions of dollars in financial support for the program.
The system has an intercept rate of about 90 percent, according to Israeli defense firm Rafael, which helped design it.
Here’s how it works:
A three-part system
The Iron Dome is part of Israel’s multi-tiered missile defense systems and is designed to intercept short-range missiles up to 70 kilometers (43 miles) away.
Each Iron Dome battery consists of three main sections: a radar detection system, a computer to calculate the trajectory of an approaching missile, and a launcher that fires interceptors if the missile is deemed likely to hit a built-up or strategic area.
It sits alongside other missile defense systems such as the Arrow, which counters ballistic missiles, and the David’s Sling, for missile or medium-range missile attacks.
How much does it cost?
Each Iron Dome interceptor costs $40,000 to $50,000 to manufacture, according to the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The think tank estimated that a complete system, including radar, computer and three to four launch vehicles, each containing up to 20 interceptors, costs about $100 million to manufacture.
Israel has 10 such systems in operation, according to Raytheon, which is helping to manufacture Iron Dome. Other estimates put the figure slightly higher.
Bipartisan support of the US
The Iron Dome is one of the strategic pillars of the US-Israel alliance, which has been followed by successive Democratic and Republican administrations.
In August 2019, the US military signed a contract to buy two Iron Dome batteries to improve its own short-range missile defense capabilities.
(Except for the headline, this story was not edited by NDTV staff and was published by a syndicated channel.)
