This article needs to be updated.(April 2024) |
Iron Dome | |
---|---|
Type | Counter rocket, artillery, and mortar (C-RAM) and short range air defence system[1] |
Place of origin | Israel |
Service history | |
In service | 2011–present |
Used by | Israel Defense Forces |
Wars | |
Production history | |
Designer | |
Designed | 2005 |
Manufacturer | |
Unit cost | $50 million per battery[2] $100,000–150,000 per interception[3] |
Produced | 2011–present |
No. built | 10 batteries deployed[4] (planned deployment is 15)[5][6][needs update] |
Specifications | |
Mass | 90 kg (200 lb)[7] |
Length | 3 m (9 ft 10 in)[7] |
Diameter | 160 mm (6.3 in)[7] |
Detonation mechanism | Proximity fuze[8] |
Maximum speed | Mach 2.2 |
Launch platform | Three/four launchers, each carrying 20 interceptors. |
Iron Dome (Hebrew: כִּפַּת בַּרְזֶל, romanized: Kippat Barzel) is an Israeli mobile all-weather air defense system,[8] developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries.[7] The system is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells fired from distances of 4 to 70 kilometres (2–43 mi) away and whose trajectory would take them to an Israeli populated area.[9][10] From 2011 to 2021, the United States contributed a total of US$1.6 billion to the Iron Dome defense system,[11] with another US$1 billion approved by the US Congress in 2022.[12][needs update]
Iron Dome was declared operational and initially deployed on 27 March 2011 near Beersheba.[13] On 7 April 2011, the system successfully intercepted a rocket launched from Gaza for the first time.[14] On 10 March 2012, The Jerusalem Post reported that the system shot down 90% of rockets launched from Gaza that would have landed in populated areas.[10] In late 2012, Israel said that it hoped to increase the range of Iron Dome's interceptions, from a maximum of 70 to 250 kilometres (43–155 mi) and make it more versatile so that it could intercept rockets coming from two directions simultaneously.[15]
In November 2012, official statements indicated that it had intercepted over 400 rockets.[16][17] By late October 2014, the Iron Dome systems had intercepted over 1,200 rockets.[18] In addition to their land-based deployment, it was reported in 2017 that Iron Dome batteries would in future be deployed at sea on Sa'ar 6-class corvettes, to protect off-shore gas platforms in conjunction with Israel's Barak 8 missile system.[19]
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