Last night, Israel managed to intercept 99% of the 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles and 120 ballistic missiles launched by Iran from its territory and that of its affiliate groups in neighboring countries, such as Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon. A milestone celebrated by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) that certifies the success of its weapons and defense plan.
With nearly $23 billion, Israel was the second country in the world, after Saudi Arabia, with the highest military spending in 2022, the last year with official data. Or what is the same, 4.5% of its GDP that was entirely allocated to defense. Which is more than double the NATO average, which is around 2%.
A good part of Israel’s annual expenditure is allocated to the innovation of its army with the new technological advances that emerge. And among the investments in recent years, the Iron Dome stands out, one of the most advanced defense systems in the world capable of intercepting and destroying short-range rockets and mortars launched at Israel from a distance of up to 70 kilometers.
First, a radar detects the rockets sent towards Israel and captures information about their speed and trajectory, which is sent to a control center. Next, the control center calculates whether the rocket will fall on populated areas, and in that case, a missile is fired from a launcher, also called missile defense batteries. Israel has about 10 batteries that can be easily moved to place them in danger areas. Additionally, they can operate day and night, under any weather conditions.
The missiles measure approximately 3 meters long and 15 centimeters in diameter; and they weigh 90 kilos.
Once the missiles are launched into the air, and directed thanks to a radar inside them that receives constant information from the control center. When the missile intercepts the rocket, it explodes near it to destroy it. We always try to ensure that this explosion occurs far from populated areas, to minimize ground damage.
The Iron Dome was created in response to the sending of more than 4,000 rockets by Hizbullah, during the war between Israel and Lebanon in 2006. With financial support from the US, the Iron Dome began operating in 2011, becoming one of the pillars of the Israeli defense system.
The first test was during Operation Pillar of Defensive in 2012, between Israel and Palestinian militant groups. Israeli officials reported neutralizing 85% of the more than 400 missiles fired from Gaza.
Iron Dome was developed after the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hizbullah, a militant group based in southern Lebanon.
Hizbullah launched thousands of rockets into Israel, causing enormous damage and killing dozens of citizens. In response, Israel conspired to develop a new missile defense shield.
In 2007, the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced the development of the system thanks to a specific program endowed with 210 million dollars. Since then, and according to various memoranda, the United States appears as the main economic contributor of the last decade with investments that exceed 1.5 billion dollars in order to become co-owner of the technology.
Israeli manufacturer Rafael Defense Systems has claimed that the success rate of its system reaches 90%. The reliability shown since its premiere lies in its advanced technology that combines radar, interceptor missiles and state-of-the-art command and control systems.
The radar detects and tracks the trajectory of incoming projectiles. The interception unit has batteries of mobile missiles developed to destroy enemy threats in the air. While the control system guarantees a quick response through software that makes decisions in real time based on trajectory calculations.
So if an incoming rocket is headed toward a populated area or strategic target, the system’s launcher automatically fires a Tamir missile to neutralize the threat.
