The Iron Dome is an air defense system developed by Israel to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells. It was designed to protect civilian and military areas from attacks. According to Rafael, the defense company in Israel, “It is roughly 90% effective”.
The Iron Dome was developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems in collaboration with Israel Aerospace Industries. It was funded in part by the Israeli government and U.S. government and is now used by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The Iron Dome primarily defends against rocket attacks from Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The Iron Dome is deployed throughout Israel, especially near conflict-prone areas like the Gaza border, northern Israel, and major cities such as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Development began in 2007 with the Iron Dome’s first in operational deployment in 2011. Since then, it has been actively used in conflicts like the 2023 Israel-Hamas war.
It was developed in response to frequent rocket attacks on cities, Israel needed a cost-effective solution to prevent civilian casualties and infrastructure damage. The system helps maintain national security and reduces the need for large-scale military retaliation.
The Iron Dome is an advanced air defense system that detects incoming rockets using radar. Once a rocket is identified, a command-and-control system analyzes the threat and assesses whether it will hit a populated area. If the rocket is deemed dangerous, the system swiftly launches a Tamir interceptor missile to destroy it mid-air. With a success rate exceeding 90% in intercepting threats, the Iron Dome has become one of the most effective missile defense systems in the world, providing crucial protection for Israeli civilians and military targets.
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