After significant updates, Israel’s famous Iron Dome missile defense system successfully and simultaneously intercepted a flurry of rockets and drones in a recent round of testing.
Iron Dome intercepts UAVs, rockets bomb simultaneously in test (Credit: Israel Defense Ministry Spokesperson’s Office)
The news comes as the IDF warns of a possible new confrontation with Hezbollah in Lebanon, where the Iranian-backed terrorist group is constantly working to improve its missile and drone capabilities. The tests were completed on Tuesday by the Ministry of Defense and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. They demonstrated a significant upgrade in the technological capabilities of the Iron Dome. The Iron Dome was tested in a variety of complex scenarios and intercepted and destroyed targets simulating existing and emerging threats, including the simultaneous interception of several drones, as well as a rocket and missile salvo. This test was carried out in the South with the participation of the IAF Air Defense Command. The new version of the Iron Dome system will be delivered to the IAF and the Navy for operational use and will strengthen Israel’s missile defense architecture. The development of the Iron Dome is led by the Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) of the Ministry of Defense. The main contractor for its development is Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
The system’s radar, which is capable of projecting where a missile will land, is developed by ELTA, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The command and control system (BMC) is developed by mPrest. “The technological capabilities developed by the defense industries, including the Iron Dome and the multilayered missile defense system, are critical to the defense of the State of Israel,” Defense Minister Benny Gantz said. “In the face of emerging and rapidly changing threats, these new capabilities provide the political echelon and defense establishment with the operational flexibility that is critical to our national security,” he said. “I would like to thank the engineering teams of IMDO and Rafael. Thanks to them, the citizens of Israel can sleep peacefully at night. “
IMDO Director Moshe Patel said: “Thirty years after the First Gulf War, which led to the establishment of the Israel Missile Defense Organization, and 10 years after the first operational summit of the Iron Summit, we have reached a significant leap technological capabilities of the Iron Dome system. “In the three test campaigns conducted in the past few months, the Iron Dome system has demonstrated excellent capabilities against evolving threats, including successfully intercepting rocket and missile volleys, as well as intercepting multiple UAVs simultaneously.” The new configuration of the Iron Dome system will be delivered to the IAF and Navy for operational use, and will further strengthen the State of Israel’s multilayer missile defense system, ”said Patel. (retired) Pini Yungman, general manager of Rafael’s Air Defense and Missile Division, said: “Rafael and IMDO have continuously improved the capabilities of the Iron Dome over the past decade, constantly improving its technological and operational performance. Our forward-looking approach allows us to address the projected threats that are emerging around us. The capabilities demonstrated in this latest test will provide additional protection for the State of Israel. “