Iron Dome helps Israel fend off Hamas rockets

Iron Dome

The radar technology used with the Iron Dome allows it to quickly calculate the flight path of incoming missiles or rockets. Source: Supplied

ISRAEL says its new missile-defence system, Iron Dome, is a game changer that has intercepted hundreds of rockets fired at the Jewish state by Gaza-based militants.

In five days of fighting against Hamas, Israel says its newly-developed missile-defence system has intercepted hundreds of rockets fired at densely-populated civilian areas.


Produced by Israeli-based Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Iron Dome is meant to shoot down rockets and artillery shells with ranges of up to 70 kilometres and has been operational since 2011. Officials claim it has a roughly 80 percent success rate.

Iron Dome

The Iron Dome system only detects missiles that will hit residential areas or other sensitive targets. Source: Supplied

The system's radar detects launches of rockets or mortar shells and quickly determines their flight path. If the projectile is headed toward populated areas or sensitive targets, it fires an interceptor with a special warhead that strikes the incoming rocket within seconds. Rockets headed toward open areas area allowed to land.

The system consists of mobile batteries or units which each have a radar to detect rockets as well as a portable missile launcher. It only takes a few hours to move and set up each each unit.

Iron Dome explosion

The interceptor missile hits its target mid-air. Source: Supplied

The missile is three-metres long and weighs around 90 kilograms with each warhead weighing in at around 11 kilograms for shells that fire at targets from 4 to 70 kilometres away. 

Currently, five Iron Dome batteries are deployed in Israel, though officials told the BBC that they plan to have another 8 units operational within the next year.


Israel's missile defense system that protects its people and cities

Each Tamir interceptor missiles cost around $60,000 a piece. In 2010, the US provided $192 million to expand development. Additional funding is currently being considered, with $67.5 million already allocated for the 2012 fiscal year.

The system is part of what Israel calls its "multilayer missile defense''. It is meant to protect against the tens of thousands of short-range rockets possessed by militants in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.

Israel has also deployed its Arrow missile defence systems for long-range threats from Iran. The military says its new David's Sling' system, being developed by Rafael to stop medium-range missiles, will be activated by 2014.

The system, while largely successful, isn't perfect as it detected only six out of seven missiles fired from Gaza at Israel in August 2011, The Washington Post reports.  That undetected rocket then hit a residential area and reportedly killed at least one Israeli, according to media reports.

- with staff reporters

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