Perhaps you already saw what is happening in Israel. There are black clouds lit by exploding balls of light as if spaceships are fighting or a frightening fireworks show set to the sound of air raid sirens.
That is also the view from Israel's Iron Dome, the country's aerial defensive mechanism for intercepting incoming short-range missiles. This week's escalating confrontation between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militia that controls Gaza, has provided a fresh look at the Iron Dome in play.
What is The Iron Dome of Israel?
The Iron Dome structure has been in place since 2011 and was designed and operated with $1.6 billion in US funding, Wall Street Journal reported. It consists of a network of attached batteries and radars that aim at rockets that seem to be headed for inhabited areas while ignoring others that are likely to crash into empty fields.
Although Hamas has used the system in past wars, the Palestinian group has never launched as many rockets simultaneously. Israeli authorities said per Washington Post that the dome is around 90% successful at stopping the short-range rockets used by Hamas and other groups in the area.
WATCH as the Iron Dome Aerial Defense System intercepts rockets over southern Israel: pic.twitter.com/xUz3bMuTzz
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 12, 2021
Here's How Iron Dome of Israel Works
So, how does the Iron Dome system work? The Conversation said the Iron Dome is a "system of systems" in the mysterious dictionary of military science, and it consists of three main components:
- a radar tracking station;
- a control-center; and
- up to three missile batteries.
Each portion is in charge of a different step of the "detect-to-engage" loop, as it is known in the military. When a rocket is launched, a sophisticated radar designed to monitor small, fast-moving objects detects it in mid-flight.
The data is then sent to the control center through a wireless link. Teams of Israeli military forces analyze the incoming rocket's trajectory and decide if it should be intercepted. Since Iron Dome's missiles are so expensive, only those bound for inhabited areas are chosen for interception.
Where a rocket has to be intercepted, a launch order is sent to the Iron Dome missile battery. A Tamir interceptor missile is guided into the rocket's direction using a complex guidance system and input from the control center. The whole procedure takes two to three minutes.
How Much is a Single Missile Used in Israel's Iron Dome?
More than 1,000 missiles have been launched at Israel this week, IDF said per DW.com. But 200 of them have failed to cross the border and landed in Gaza.
The cost of a single missile is estimated to be around €66,000 ($80,000). Most of the reasons they are only fired when a projectile is approaching an inhabited area are this.
According to the IDF, a single battery can defend a medium-sized city and intercept rockets launched from up to 70 kilometers away. According to experts, 13 systems will be needed to protect the entire region.
WSJ said Iron Dome not only saves Israeli lives and properties. However, the facility could also alter Israel's adversary's propaganda calculus. Because of the high rate of missile interceptions, Israel's leaders have more options for responding to threats.
"Every rocket intercepted by the system would have hit a [populated civilian] area, potentially causing severe damage and casualties," according to the IDF website.
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