Israel’s Iron Dome: How it intercepts, neutralize rockets aimed at Israeli targets?

In the recent ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, the airstrikes and rocket attacks between the two regions are being reported on a daily basis.

On May 11, 2021, a video showing rockets fired by Hamas in Gaza targeting Israel can be seen being intercepted or blocked by the Israeli Iron Dome Air defence system. To the viewer, it appears that the rockets were hitting an invisible shield.

Israel’s advanced drone and defence systems and the development of sophisticated defence technology are known globally. We have explained below how the Iron Dome system of Israel works and how its help the country in being one step ahead during a war or a violent attack.

What is Israel’s Iron Dome and how was it originated?

Iron Dome is a ground-to-air, short-range, air defence system. It includes a Tamir and radar interceptor missiles that can track and neutralize any missiles or rockets that are aimed at Israeli targets. The Iron Dome is used for countering artillery and mortars (C-RAM), rockets as well as helicopters, aircraft and even unmanned aerial vehicles.

The origin of the Iron Dome goes back to the Israeli-Lebanon war in 2006 when Hezbollah (Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group) fired thousands of rockets into Israel.

After the attacks, the following year, the Israeli government announced that its state-run Rafael advance systems will come up with a new air defence system for protecting its cities and people. The system was developed with Israel Aerospace Industries.

Know more about Jerusalem violence

What is the success rate and when was the Iron Dome deployed?

The Iron Dome of Israel was deployed in 2011. While the state-run Rafael advance systems claim a success rate of the Iron Dome of over 90%, with more than 2,000 interceptions, the experts have agreed that the success rate is over 80%.

As per the description on Rafael’s website, the dome can protect deployed and manoeuvring forces, as well as the Forward Operating Base and the urban areas in the country, against a wide range of indirect and aerial attacks.

How does the Iron Dome work?

Israel’s Iron Dome has three main systems that work together for providing a shield over the area where the dome is deployed, making it capable to handle multiple threats.

The Iron Dome has detection and tracking radar that can spot any incoming threats, a battle management and weapon control system (BMC) and a missile-firing unit. The BMC liaises between the interceptor missile and the radar.

The Iron Dome is also capable of being used in any kind of weather condition, including day and night.

A retired Air Marshal, who heads the Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS) think tank in India, explained that there are two main elements in any air defence system. One is the radar, which must have the capability of seeing small objects and must be able to accurately track it.

The Retired Air Marshal added that there are usually two to three radars in any air defence system to track and sport the incoming objects. When the weapon is launched, it is the tracking radar that will help the weapon reach there and the weapon’s own head will take over.

Once the missile is fired, it must be able to see the small target on its own and thereafter go and shoot. However, it is impossible to shoot the target directly each time, which is why there is a ‘proximity fuse’ in each missile which is a laser-controlled fuse.

When passing within the 10 meters of the target, the fuse activates and blasts the missile with shrapnel that destroys the target. The warhead is exploded in such a way that it caters for the velocity of the target and missile.

Defence Systems in India:

Israel, along with Russia and the US, is a leader. The country had to master its air defence system because of the surrounding threat as well as they also work very closely with the US.

As India is also currently in the process of buying S-400 defence systems from Russia for the cost of over $5 billion, the Iron Dome was also one of the systems that were being spoken of.

While India is of a continent size, Israel is much smaller and has to deal with the threats that are relatively close around it. India has got S-400, which caters to the three threats (missiles, rockets and cruise missiles). India currently has Akash Short-range surface to air missiles and Russian systems including the Pechora.