Iron Dome may be ready, but Gaza front is still in danger
Defense establishment aces trial of barrage interception; IDF to deploy Gaza rocket interceptor by June.
By Amos Harel Tags: Israel defense system Israel newsThe Iron Dome short-range missile defense system passed a series of tests over the last few days with flying colors, successfully shooting down Qassam rockets, Grad rockets and mortar shells one after the other.
It even succeeded in determining which missiles to shoot down - those whose trajectory made them likely to land in a populated area - and which to ignore.
This was the first test of the system as a whole rather than individual components.
The results are a feather in the cap of the developer, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, which succeeded in transforming the highly complex system from an idea into an almost fully operational product in just two and a half years. The first operational battery is expected to be deployed in May.
Credit also goes to Defense Minister Ehud Barak and his ministry's outgoing director general, Pinchas Buchris, for pushing the project.
It is hard to exaggerate the importance of the successful tests. Iron Dome is supposed to provide protection against missiles with a range of between four and 70 kilometers. That covers everything from mortar shells through Hamas' Qassams, Hezbollah's Katyusha rockets and even Iranian Fajr rockets, which have apparently made their way to the Gaza Strip. As such, it radically improves Israel's strategic position.
Nevertheless, protection of Israel's home front remains far from complete. First, Iron Dome has yet to be tested in a genuine attack. Second, Israel still lacks any additional missile batteries beyond the prototype just tested. Third, the intermediate layer of Israel's missile defense system - Magic Wand, which is supposed to handle missiles with longer ranges than those covered by Iron Dome but shorter than the long-range ballistic missiles covered by the Arrow - has yet to reach a similarly advanced stage of development, and is not expected to do so until 2012.
The first Iron Dome battery will be delivered to the air force in about six weeks and is slated, if all goes well, to become operational in May. A single missile battery is enough to protect a medium-sized city like Sderot.
The question is how many batteries the Israel Defense Forces will ultimately acquire, and when. It would take about 20 batteries, each costing some NIS 50 million, to defend the entire northern and southern border regions. That will require either diverting substantial funds from other defense projects or significantly increasing the defense budget.
Rafael is expected to profit handsomely, both from sales to the IDF and, later, overseas. The United States, for instance, might want to purchase the missile protection system to defend its army bases in the Middle East against terror attacks.
Will Iron Dome make Israel more likely to launch another war in Gaza? It may do just the opposite, by increasing Israel's deterrence against Hamas, thereby stabilizing the situation. If Hamas knows its ability to harm Israel has been substantially reduced, it may be less likely to engage in provocations.
However, the Palestinians will almost certainly put the system to the test, if only in the hope of scoring a symbolic victory by breaking through Israel's technological shield.
But for all the praise this achievement deserves, one criticism must be leveled: It should have happened much sooner. For years, the IDF refused to invest the necessary funds in developing Iron Dome, until former defense minister Amir Peretz finally forced it to do so. Had this been done sooner, not only would Israeli lives have been saved, but it might have been possible to avoid last winter's war in Gaza altogether and significantly reduce the damage from the Second Lebanon War in 2006.
|
Iron Dome projectile intercepting a rocket. |
| Photo by: (IDF) |
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
Let's hope it works, of course if it works as designed, as a deterrent more than a defensive weapon, and Hamas is silenced, then it will put the litmus test on Israel: Will there be a Palestinian State if terrorism stops? Anybody prepared for that strategic change?
if it saves one life, it's worth it. If it discourages hamas from using rockets, it's worth it. If it gives psychological comfort to residents of the south, it's worth it. too bad you pathetic euros can't wrap your heads around what it's like to be under rocket fire for 8 yrs...all your countries did a mere 70 yrs ago was aid and abet a madman in your jew hating zeal...all of you contributed..france, italy, hungary, yugoslavia, czheckoslovakia, russia, lithuania, latvia, estonia, etc..etc..the british royals and elite classes wanted to side with hitler too..thank god for winston! anyhow, not one of you euro scuzzbags has a leg to stand on..good luck with your impending islamicization. LOL
The US System is protecting Canadians now in Afghanistan. Who would Israel sell it to? The US system costs about $50 to shoot a mortar out of the air.
hourah for one guy, do not sell our incredibilities to certain people for we are helped from above, and some people will turn their backs soon or later according to the prophets, so what about keeping some aces under our sleeves?
some of our posters criticize Israel for developing a defensive weapon. The same posters would call any Arab ofensive weapon a defensive one.
How much does the war in Iraq cost? How much WMD was found? How much does the war in Afghanistan cost? How much does it cost to produce a road side bomb? SUICIDE BOMBER?.
$ 40.000 plus will cost UK, when they come to buy the system. It will not cost that much to Israel at all. Marginal cost of a shot missle (the only consumable) is very low. It will cost Hamas lot more that a cost of shot Kassam, because every Kasam shot will be responded to by distruction of tunels, bombing of Hamas infrastructure etc. So on every level Hamas will pay more than Israel. Happy?
Today the Palestinians fired 10 mortars which landed without harming anyone. If we take suggestions of $40,000 a launch at face value that is $400,000 per day to defend against a threat which hasn't killed or injured anyone. I presume living in Australia your going to be willing to chip in a few dollars.
What part of "we already own it" don't you understand? What we need to do is elect someone with the balls to cut Israel of completely. This includes the 3+ billion spent anually, 625 million to support the Arrow project,200 million for anti terror assistance. Ron PAUL 2012
Apparently the Israeli system is far superior in its test performance. You are right, it remains to be be seen how it performs in the battelfield but if it continues to perform, there will be a scramble to buy this product. Isn't it sickening how Israel's security is enhanced by its intellectual capital. Wait till the oil runs out.
Give them to Gazans? Why don't you encourage the British police to give defensive armaments to your criminals. A life's a life, right. That's your point. Gazans have to take responsibility for choosing a government which they knew was committed to the destruction of Israel whose conduct attempts to effectuate this goal. You choose a terror government, then you are a terror state. Terror states need to change, not be defended. Yes, there are Gazans who are victims in this peace and that is awful but that is the problem for Gazans, Hamas and the Arab world, not the problem of Israel.
If only Arabs / Muslims valued life as much as Israelis then the ME would be living in peace. Unfortunately Arab / Muslim mothers are often proud of their children when they go on suicide bombing missions and kill many innocent civilians. It is this kind of actions that creates the mistrust among the Israeli public and prevents a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
""using the Iron Dome missile system? How much does it cost to produce a Qassam?"" How much is a human life worth and does anyone care?
Michael, although I understand some of your reasoning, I think you are sadly mistaken when suggesting the shield shouldn't be sold to America. Are you suggesting, though, that my tax dollars, and that of other Americans, didn't pay for Israel's Iron Dome, like your nukes? As an American, I am defiantly against continuing to hand-free Israel, but we just sent you 3 billion a month ago! (I rather my tax dollars go to Africa). In my opinion, Israel is at the "root of all the world's problem," i.e., THE MIDDLE-EAST CONFLICT!!! And you have dragged us into your tiny mess, literally taking away resources that America's citizens need themselves. I'm not for wars, and I am no more afraid of Muslims than I am of conservative whites and jews. All have radicals, and they continue rejuvenating because of wars.
U are right, the best weapons is neva disclosed, it will disclose itself in action. Infact Israel shud develop a technology reflects a missile / rocket back to its original source or even somewhere within enemy territory. Am sure this is possible, who cud believe Irone dome concept a decade ago.
I believe that with the UK's special status with the United States, we have the same system in several variants including on ships. A lot cheaper to operate as well.
Good job Israel, of course ur ultimate protection is God and nothing else. I ve always wondered why u discontinued the Lavi Jetfighter project. How can u pay US$100M for an F35, am sure by now u should have managed the cost issue and iwth ur tech pool been amking much better jets.
Why would the US want to buy it? We have a system that works just fine and works on mortars, too. And our system is battle-tested in Iraq and Afghanistan already.
it only passed some tests in "labatorium" conditions. First some should be installed in the north and north/east of Gaza (as minimal distance is 5km so good for ashkelon ashdod and tel aviv but not for sdrot), to test them in real consitions.
Any device which protects civilians and the innocent should be handed out for free. Israel needs it, so does Gaza.
good on you israel if i was young man i would come fight for you
Congratulations Israel I hope this works as hoped. It is very difficult to shoot a rocket w/ a bullet, so well done. Hilarious that David LG completely predicted Marc Leb's mewlings. As to Michael's suggestion not to sell to US because Obama wants Israel to rein in the insane settlers...no country has received more aid and support from the US, ever, than Israel has. May she find peace at last...
to be murdered all of sudden with a Qassam. "Sooner or later and probably by " War or peace talks does not create a decent life for Israelis. 60 years had been passed, and the threat to be murdered is constant. We are living for the moment. Are we going to live for a time without a threat of being murdered? That is sufficient for us. If they would succed to invent we are going to invent another weapon. Otherwise Israel must wipeout from the map. Aby
that every penny we had invest on it. You can not understand for what I'm adrresing, its useless for you. Aby
Marc, The sole purpose of the Iron Dome is to save lives. No one is trying to deny the Palestinians their rights. Lets be honest here. The sole goal of Hamas is to attack Israel. They may use fancy techniques that allow them to claim to be the victim. The true problem is within the education that Palestinian children are taught. Even if Israel complied completely lifted the siege and gave Hamas everything they wanted, they still would find some bogus reason to attack us. Until the Palestinians are willing to change their attitude torwds Israel, Israel has no choice but to do everything in it's power to defend herself and her people. Only when the fanatics are defeated, can real peace be achieved.
The terrorists that he loves so much won't be able to force people in Sderot and other cities to constantly run for cover. They'll have normal lives again and his anti-Israel agenda won't advance. Tsk Tsk.
go ask Egypt. Israel is at war.
using the Iron Dome missile system? How much does it cost to produce a Qassam?
Putting up the 'separation fence', missile defense shield is just another way to silence any kind of protest of the occupation or the stealing of Palestinian lands by the state of Israel. So once the Palestinians have no way to react to the occupation's evil, what then? do we just forget about them, can they become Israeli citizens (not in a million years with the current Israeli govt) will anyone let them out - or are they doomed to suffer at the fate of decisions that were made 60 years ago. I guess your fine with it. those who did not fight for their rights will never achieve them.
Well there goes Amos Harel again! Why on one of the few occasions that he gives a compliment to Israel's achievements does he feel the need to criticise at the same time by saying that it should have happened sooner!
In these changing times and seeming fluctuation in support from the Obama regime, maybe Israel shouldn't "automatically" give all to Mr. Obama but should think more along the lines of a quid pro quo basis?
Great war technology. But the more technology solves one problem, the more opponents find new weapons even more destructive than those just made largely useless. Sooner or later and probably by accident, somebody will invent a doomsday weapon with a destructive power that will go unknown until it is actually used in combat. Perhaps that is what happened to mythical Atlantis, and we know what happened to that continent and its people. Happy New Year.
Doesn't all this publicity about Iron Dome - to be deployed by June?? - give the Hamas an incentive to fire some of its rockets before then?? Would it not be wiser to inform Israeli citizens, Hamas, and the world that Iron Dome was operative, AFTER it had been deployed, and WAS already operative?
Actually this is really quite an achievement that all in Eretz should walk a bit prouder. Congrats to RAFAEL, MOD, IAF and all the scientist, engineers and behind the scene professionals. Quite a challenge MET. Lets hope you don't have to use it. But, if you do, if it just saves Israel from one war, one battle, one soldier or one civilian's injury or death; it was well worth it and is PRICELESS. Shalom.
Of course the Israel bashers will find something in this to criticize Israel. I can just imagine a comment about how wrong it is to deny the Palestinians a form of resistance by not allowing them to kill Israelis.
Great job to Israel and Rafael! I am proud to hear that an Israeli company has created this - which sounds like an outstanding defense system to protect against terrorist and military attacks. I just love the idea of rendering the enemy's attacks useless! I can't wait to hear that this system is up and running and effective! Go Israel! You are smarter than your enemies and will always prevail!
Its always easy to be the monday night quaterback saying what someone should have done. Enough to say great that they've developed such a system rather than why didn't the do it before. Hindsight is always 20/20