IDF using radar to warn of incoming Qassams

The Israel Defense Forces has begun using technology that affords Sderot residents a 15 to 20 second warning of an incoming Qassam rocket fired from the Gaza Strip.

The system, which is connected to Sderot's public address system, was used for the first time a week ago, and judged to be a success.

Known as Maamin, the system fixes the position from which a rocket is fired and issues a warning. Using electro-optic sensors and advanced computers, Maamin is capable of pinpointing both the location of the launch and the point where the missile will land, in less than a second.

The system was developed by the missile division at Rafael Armament Development Authority and a prototype was built in six weeks following an emergency request.

The system capable of fixing the source of the launch is situated either on a vehicle or an elevated position.

Maamin is unique and does not exist anywhere else in the world. It was developed according to specifications of the ground forces for locating snipers. Success in the development stages led to an expansion of the specifications to locating the launch sites of Qassam rockets.

According to the IDF estimates, the average flight time of a Qassam is about 30 seconds, which is long enough to seek cover, according to military sources.

The IDF expects to expand the capabilities of the system to enable an immediate response against those firing the rockets.

Rafael CEO Giora Shalgi said the system is relatively simple. He said that with a relatively small investment of less than $10 million it would be possible to broaden the system to cover the northern border and the Gaza Strip.

During a visit to Sderot on Wednesday, Public Security Minister Gideon Ezra and Police Chief Moshe Karadi toured locations where Qassam rockets have landed in recent months.

According to the police officers accompanying Ezra and Karadi, 101 Qassam rockets have been fired at Sderot so far this year. Thirteen rockets were the upgraded Nasser 3, which has a longer range and larger warhead.