Since October 2023, the Iron Dome and other Israeli defensive systems have intercepted thousands of projectiles.
The temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah appears to be winding down, following recent exchanges of barrages. Earlier this week, the Israel Defense Force (IDF) reported that nine operatives working for the Iranian-backed terror group had been taken out in recent air strikes, as part of Israel’s efforts to prevent Hezbollah from rearming. Out of all of Iran’s regional proxy affiliates, Hezbollah is perhaps the most lethally armed. Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps provides the Lebanon-based group with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), missiles, rockets, and other weapons that it uses to frequently attack Israel. While the IDF’s Iron Dome air and missile defense system is top-notch, it is not invulnerable to swarm tactics. For this reason, maintaining a thorough and functioning multitiered defense apparatus is essential to the survival of Israel.
Last month, the Israel Missile Defense Organization carried out a series of “advanced” interception tests with the Iron Dome system. Rafael Advanced Defense System, the manufacturer of the formidable air defense system, revealed the tests were the “largest and most significant” ever carried out since the dome’s introduction to service more than a decade ago. Rafael’s CEO, Yoav Tourgeman, detailed that “the tests incorporated new capabilities across a wide range of scenarios, all of which the system successfully handled. These new capabilities will further enhance our ability to address future threats.”
According to Israel’s Defense Ministry, the tests were designed with the current threat climate in mind and more specifically lessons learned from Hamas’ October 2023 massacre and since then. Since the war between Israel and its hostile neighbors erupted eighteen months ago, the Iron Dome and other Israeli tiered defense systems have intercepted thousands of projectiles. From cruise missiles and lethal drones to rockets and other munitions, the dome is credited with saving many, many lives from the frequent barrages launched toward Israel.
How the Iron Dome Works
Able to cover distances of 2.5 to 43.5 miles, the Iron Dome’s range effectively thwarts the majority of projectiles launched by Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and even Iran directly. The Iron Dome features radars that detect, identify, and track incoming missiles. Once a projectile has been identified by one of these radars, its threat level is accessed in terms of factors including its direction, speed, and other important specs. Once deemed to be a threat, Iron Dome operators can continue to track the object by radar. Usually, the Iron Dome has a minute or less to respond to such an attack. Overall, the Iron Dome is estimated to successfully intercept and take out roughly 90 percent of incoming projectiles, a rather impressive figure.
While Raytheon’s recent “advanced” testing involving the Iron Dome proved to be essential, the manufacturer has performed live-fire drills involving the air defense system in the past. In 2020, Raytheon incorporated a technological upgrade to the system that enabled the dome to shoot down more complex and numerous aerial threats simultaneously. The Iron Dome will likely undergo further evaluation and testing as tensions in the Middle East continue to surge.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
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