Comment / Iron Dome success does nothing to ease rocket threat
The stock of Iron Dome missiles is liable to run out way before the rocket barrages on the home front end.
By Reuven Pedatzur Tags: Israel defense system Gaza rockets Israel newsThere is no doubt that the people at Rafael Advanced Defense Systems deserve much praise for the success of the Iron Dome trial. It is certainly an impressive technological achievement. The problem is that the success of Iron Dome does nothing to ease the threat of Qassams on Sderot, or the threat of the short range Katyushas in the hands of Hezbollah.
Iron Dome has brought nothing new to the table, and it has not solved the inherent problems of a defense system based on missiles trying to intercept enemy rockets. Therefore the rejoicing and the preening in the wake of the test's success hide the far bleaker truth.
The public relations campaign accompanying the test is full of deceptions and half-truths. It has ignored the flaws in the systems and has created illusions. This is because Iron Dome will not protect the communities directly surrounding Gaza nor, apparently, locales even further away from the Strip.
In likely scenarios of rocket fire on the home front, the stock of Iron Dome missiles is liable to run out way before the rocket barrages end. And in any case, because of the high cost of using Iron Dome for defense, the Palestinians in the south and Hezbollah in the north can defeat us at the bank, without even launching a single rocket.
To begin with, Iron Dome is not capable of protecting the "Gaza envelope" because of the Qassam rockets' brief flying times. A Qassam makes its way from Beit Hanoun to Sderot in about 14 seconds. Iron Dome needs about 30 seconds to make an interception attempt.
That is - the system is not capable of protecting anything at a distance of less than four kilometers from the Gaza Strip.
This bitter truth was discovered in 2008 by cabinet ministers, who decided to fortify all the locales less than four and a half kilometers away from the Strip. This known fact did not deter the security establishment representatives from deluding the inhabitants of the "Gaza envelope" into thinking that the success of the Iron Dome test means protection for them.
But the problem is even worse. While the Qassams launched at Sderot were relatively slow, during the course of Operation Cast Lead Hamas was already launching third-generation Qassams, Grads and improved Grad models. These are three or four times faster than the earlier models.
A simple calculation reveals that in the face of this threat, Iron Dome's minimum range has increased from four to 12 and perhaps even 16 kilometers.
Under such circumstances, Iron Dome will not be able to protect even Ashkelon.
Another deception spread by the media was the statement that henceforth the southern locales will be protected not only from Qassams but also from mortar shells, a claim that not even the developers of the system are making.
Nevertheless, when reporters and pundits hailed Iron Dome's ability to intercept mortar shells, no one from the defense establishment bothered to correct them.
Another problem is the price of the interception. An Iron Dome missile will cost about $100,000; a Qassam costs several dozens of dollars. An attempt to prepare for the launching of thousands of rockets (as in the Second Lebanon War) entails an untenable cost in the south as well as the north - where the threat consists of about 40,000 rockets in Hezbollah's hands.
Worse still is the plan to deploy another system developed by Rafael - Magic Wand. The price of one missile in this system will come to about $1 million.
The inhabitants of the western Negev, Kiryat Shmona and the Upper Galilee have to know the truth. They must not follow blindly the trumpet blasts of the media festival that has accompanied the successful test of Iron Dome. This dome is not going to protect them.
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
This Vulcan gun based air defense system has proven its value and usefulness for decades, most prominently on the AEGIS cruisers of the US. And while it's still an expensive one-time investment, the costs of usage are much lower, because of the relatively cheap ammunition. Ehud Barak is right to deploy these systems, which will really increase security for the border area towns. The sad truth remains that Israel could have these weapons years ago, but political pressure for domestic products prevented this. However, better late than never.
The numbers are in the article. Israeli taxpayers should be asking questions, not that Israeli politicians will feel obliged to answer. The people in Sderot have a right to something that works, not that Israeli politicians care. The current situation keeps the current crop of pols in power. And Rafael is getting rich.
Dear Paul you are sitting in your safe home in Ohio and do not know what you are taking about Negotiation with whom ? when the entire Arab word want to destroy us talking is meaningless. When we left Gaza we left behind $14000000 worth of investment which is turn out to be rock firing now. Read Arabs charter and see what their agenda is then lecture us to negotiate OK?
why this Iron dome $100,000 rocket stopper? If they shoot 100,000 rockets Israel will go broke. Israel will have to pay palestinians $90,000 to not shoot a rocket saving Israel $10,000 per rocket not fired.
Haaretz should be looking at who owns how much stock in Rafael among the political decision makers. Six years ago, the US deployed a low tech solution to the problem of rockets AND mortars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is battle proven. Does it work 100% of the time perfectly? Of course not. But it is there where Iron Dome is a chimera for the distant future. Rafael is already getting CNN to do advance marketing of Iron Dome in the US. But not even the Pentagon will buy and deploy a system that costs $100,000 to shoot a $25 rocket out of the air, especitlly when the US has (and so does Israel) an already proven system. The US deployed and proved its system. We're not leaving our people defenseless while we spend $$millions developing white elephants. If Israel spent its US aid for one year on the already proven system, all of southern Israel's communities would be protected, at the cost of only pouring 3X3 meter concrete foundations.
The Katushaya's, Screeming Mimi's and V1's of the 2nd world War were some of the most cost effective weapons ever made. Best for Israel to build some cheap rockets of their own as well as have Daisy Cutters in their arsenals.
How much money and time have been wasted on this system and others? for how long Israel will keep its cowboy mentality? the military superiority used by Israel for the last 40 years to keep its status will not work forever! honst and serious negotiations with the Palastinians and the Arabs are much cheaper and more accurate than iron dome and Nuclear domes!! No matter what, the next war with lebanon or Gaza will bring new challenges to all parties and history proves that wars don't break the will of people seeking freedom and justice.