25 Nov 2022 1:19 PM GMT
The all-weather air defence system protects the population and critical assets. (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
New Delhi: Iron Dome is an Israeli mobile missile defence system designed to intercept short-range rockets and artillery. It comprises the lowest tier of Israel’s missile defence architecture, intended to counter unguided rocket and drone attacks from the Palestinian Territories and Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon. The system consists of three main elements: the Tamir interceptor and its launcher, the ELM 2084 Multmission Radar (MMR), and a battle management and weapon control system (BMC). The system has its roots in the war Israel fought with Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah movement in 2006 when thousands of rockets were launched into Israel – causing huge damage, mass evacuations and dozens of deaths. After that Israel said a new missile defence shield would be developed.
The Iron Dome has been developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries. The system has been developed to counter very short-range rockets and 155 mm artillery shell threats with ranges of up to 70 km. It can be operated in all weather conditions including fog, dust storms, low clouds and rain. From 2011 to 2021, the United States contributed a total of $1.6 billion to the Iron Dome defence system, with another $1 billion approved by the US Congress in 2022.
The all-weather air defence system protects the population and critical assets and can be strategically placed to reduce collateral damage. Iron Dome detects, analyses and intercepts a range of incoming threats, including C-RAM, precise guided missiles, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and air-breathing threats.
The system has so far intercepted more than 2,500 incoming targets with a success rate of over 90 per cent. It provides defence against short-range missiles and rockets which pose a threat to the civilian population of Israel’s northern and southern border. The Iron Dome, which became operational in 2011, was expensive to develop but manufacturers say it is cost-effective because of the technology it uses to differentiate between missiles likely to hit built-up areas and those that won’t. Static and mobile units only launch interceptor missiles to shoot down anything interpreted as dangerous.
A decade since the Iron Dome became operational, Israel now has 10 batteries deployed across the country, each with three to four launchers that can fire 20 interceptor missiles.
Iron Dome has several steering fins for high manoeuvrability and is equipped with electro-optic sensors. The missile system has day-and-night and all-weather capability, quick reaction time, and salvo interception capability. It can also adapt to rapidly evolving threats and handle multiple threats at the same time.
Other features of the Iron Dome include a vertical launch interceptor, warhead and proximity fuse, mobile launcher, and compatibility with various radar and detection systems. The system’s special warhead allows it to detonate any target in the air.
After detecting and identifying the rocket, Iron Dome radar monitors its path. Based on the radar’s information, the system’s BMC analyses the path of the threat and calculates an anticipated point of impact. If the calculated path of the incoming rocket poses a real threat, a command is run to launch an interceptor against the threat. The incoming rocket is detonated over a neutral area.
Its system has been upgraded to be able to deliver the capability to simultaneously shoot down multiple complex threats such as rockets, unmanned aerial vehicles, and missile salvoes. The technological upgrade was tested in a series of three tests, of which the latest test was performed in southern Israel in March 2021. The Iron Dome successfully intercepted and destroyed targets that simulated existing and emerging threats.
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