What is Israel’s iron dome? How the Antimisile Defense System works

The Iron Dome’s missile defense system, or “Kippat Barzel” in Hebrew, is widely considered one of the most important tools in Israel’s defensive arsenal.

Designed to protect Israeli citizens from air attacks by launching guided missiles to intercept incoming rockets and other short -range threats, the mobile defense system for every climate has been completely operational since March 2011.

The Israel Ministry of Defense says that the system has been updated several times and “prevented innumerable rockets hitting Israeli communities.”

The Iron Dome was developed in Israel by state -owned Rafael’s advanced defense systems with the support of the United States, and Washington continues to provide funds for it.

Israel’s defense forces say that Iron Dome is a compilation of several characteristics: technology itself, the machinery used to intercept incoming rockets, the soldiers that operate the system and the commanders who supervise the network.

In practice, the Iron Dome uses the radar to track incoming rockets and determines whether the missile trajectory threatens a protected area, as a strategically important site or center site or center.

If the rocket represents a threat, a command and control center responds by launching its own Tamir missile to intercept it.

However, the system is not configured to shoot outside a protected area, and rockets that do not endanger people or buildings are generally ignored and allowed to land.

A 2023 Congress Research Service report described the Iron Dome system as an anti-traced, anti-mortilio and anti-artillery system that can intercept releases from 2.5 to 43 miles away.

It is estimated that it has at least 10 batteries deployed throughout the country, each of which is designed to defend a populated area of ​​60 square miles. Each battery is equipped with three to four pitchers and each pitcher contains up to 20 Tamir interceptors.

The Center for Strategic International Studies, a group of experts from the United States, has estimated that a single iron battery costs more than $ 100 million to produce.

Since 2011, the United States has provided billions of dollars to Israel for iron batteries, interceptors, co -production costs and general maintenance since it worked in operation.

Much of this money has been appropriate by Congress, where bipartisan majorities have constantly voted in favor of providing funds to Israel’s iron dome.

However, the iron dome has its weaknesses.

Analysts have warned that the defense system could face challenges when responding to heavy rocket fire.

The Center for European Policies Analysis, a group of US experts., Said in June 2021 that the system was potentially vulnerable to a “saturation” attack, designed to overwhelm the shield of the iron dome with simultaneous missile attacks from multiple directions.