Israel’s Iron Dome can track and neutralize over 90% of airstrikes.

By: | May 17th, 2021

Image by Andrew West from Pixabay

Israel’s Iron Dome can track and neutralize over 90% of airstrikes.

Considered among the most advanced defense systems in the world, Israel’s Iron Dome is a shield that Israeli has deployed to protect its airspace.

Iron Dome air defense system is designed to stop any short-range rockets, mortar artillery shells, missiles, drones, and even planes. The enemy projectiles are destroyed mid-air before they can cause any damage.

This state-of-the-art air defense system has been developed by the Israeli firms Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries. It had financial and technical support from the United States.

How does it work?

Whenever there is an enemy rocket fired towards Israeli airspace, Iron Dome’s radar system quickly picks it to analyze its path and ascertain whether the incoming rocket is a threat. If the incoming rocket risks hitting a populated area or any important infrastructure, an interceptor missile is launched to neutralize it while it is still in the air.

The Iron Dome has three central components that work together in creating a shield over the area where deployed. All the three components – a radar unit, battle management, and weapon control system (BMC), and missile firing unit, are located at the same site.

It can operate during day or night and in all kinds of weather conditions – fog, dust storms, or rain. Iron Dome launches vertically positioned interceptors, which can be fired either from mobile units or a static launch site.

At a cost of more than $50000 a shot, is a very expensive system designed to intercept very cheap rockets. But its cost-effectiveness is saving lives and preventing massive economic damage.

Nidhi Goyal

Nidhi is a gold medalist Post Graduate in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences.

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