Cabinet approves budget for missile defense system

The cabinet yesterday approved NIS 811 million to fund a defense system that will intercept rockets and missiles, such as the Qassams fired by Gazan militants at the Negev.

Rafael - the national authority for the development of weapons and military technology - which has been charged with developing the "Iron Dome" system, said its teams are working "day and night" to make it operational by the first half of 2010.

According to project director Oron Uriel, a single system will be able to protect the entire city of Sderot from Qassam rockets.

Estimated at between $30,000-$40,000 per unit, the Tamir missile utilized by the system will intercept targets in midair and will be guided by two separate radar systems, one of which already exists and provides Sderot residents with early warnings of incoming rockets.

"The system's development plans has been fast-tracked without precedent. It is revolutionary on a global scale," Uriel said. Initial tests using the system will be conducted in four months and its first simulated interception of a dummy target is slated to take place in early 2009. Rafael staff expects the system to be 95-percent accurate against Qassam rockets as well as Fajr missiles used by Hezbollah.

"So far, we've successfully intercepted drones, but not rockets and we're working on it," Uriel explained. "The rocket's trajectory is not hard to track, but is problematic because it may explode in midair."

Rafael is also developing a second missile defense system called "David's Sling," expected to be operational by 2011. When completed, the two systems will help lead Israel's line of defense against attacks by missile and rockets.