Israel’s Iron Dome
How layers of air defences protected the country against the biggest onslaught of missiles and drones in its history
Israel used all four tiers of its air defences — and help from allies — to block Iran's mass drone and missile attack on Israeli territory on April 13, officials say.
The Israeli and U.S. governments said a combination of air-, sea- and ground-launched missiles destroyed nearly all of the hundreds of weapons Iran sent toward Israel. U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the region, said U.S. forces destroyed more than 80 drones and at least six ballistic missiles.
Israel has been honing its air defences since enduring Iraqi Scud missile salvoes in the 1991 Gulf War, said Dr. Yehoshua Kalisky, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. That work resulted in a multi-layered air defence network linked by central control nodes, he said.
The outer layers are the Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 systems, designed to intercept ballistic missiles fired from thousands of kilometres away. The Arrow-2 is optimised for destroying missiles in the atmosphere, while the Arrow-3 can hit them while they are coasting in space. Both are meant to minimise the chance that warheads or payloads from the destroyed targets cause harm on the ground.
David’s Sling provides the middle layer of protection, Kalisky said, and is meant to engage shorter-range ballistic missiles launched 100km to 200km (62 to 124 miles) away. Developed and manufactured jointly by Israel’s state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the U.S. Raytheon Co, David’s Sling can also intercept aircraft, drones and cruise missiles.
The final ring of protection comes from what is most likely the best-known and most-used of Israel’s air defence systems: the short-range Iron Dome, which is optimised for destroying small, slow, unguided targets such as short-range rockets and drones, he said.
A graphic shows four types of interceptor missile systems Israel uses and the ranges within which they operate.
IRON DOME
Iron Dome was built to intercept the kind of low-tech rockets fired by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in Gaza. Developed by state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems with U.S. backing, it became operational in 2011. Each truck-towed unit can direct radar-guided missiles against short-range threats such as rockets, mortars and drones.
A key part of Iron Dome is its control system’s ability to discern what incoming targets pose a threat. If an adversary’s rocket will land harmlessly - in an unpopulated area or in the sea, for instance - it will not be intercepted. That makes it ideal for “saturation” scenarios in which an enemy tries to fire so many missiles that not all of them will be shot down, said Uzi Rubin, a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security.
“Its radar and battle management systems are designed to handle a huge number of targets simultaneously,” Rubin said. “Each launcher can fire its full load of 20 interceptors within 10 seconds or so.”
When Hamas began its attack on Israel in October 2023, it fired several thousand rockets into Israel, with a reported interception rate of about 90%.
Rafael says that over the course of its service, Iron Dome has intercepted thousands of targets.
The company says it delivered two Iron Dome batteries to the U.S. Army in 2020. Ukraine is seeking the system to protect cities in its war with Russia, but Israel has so far only provided Kyiv with humanitarian support and civil defence supplies.
A video shows the sky over Jerusalem at night during Iran’s attack. Missiles from Israel’s Iron Dome defence system are launched to intercept incoming missiles or drones.
How it works
Iron Dome was originally billed as providing city-sized coverage against rockets with ranges of 4 to 70 km (2.5 to 43 miles), but experts say this has been expanded as the system has been improved over time.
A graphic shows parts of Israel’s missile defence system. The radar detects incoming targets within a 100 km radius and provides midcourse guidance for the Tamir interceptor missile. The battle management control system (BMC) calculates the impact point of an incoming missile and only intercepts those that will fall in a protected area. Each missile launcher can fire up to 20 interceptor missiles against incoming targets.
The systems work to create a protective space above Israeli towns and settlements. Any incoming projectile determined to be a threat can be targeted.
A graphic shows a city being protected from attack by Iron Dome. Iron Dome is a mobile system designed to intercept short-range rockets and artillery shells that endanger populated areas in Israel. Each battery – a combination of missile launcher, control station and radar – can defend about 150 square kilometres (58 square miles), about the size of a medium-sized city.
The mission of shooting down numerous cheap, low-end threats means Iron Dome’s interceptors must also be inexpensive. Each Tamir missile costs about $50,000, Kalisky said, which is low relative to a multimillion-dollar Patriot missile. The price of not stopping an incoming threat must also be factored in, said Ankit Panda of the U.S.-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
“It’s not that Iron Dome is a 100% effective capability, but you have to consider the alternative,” of much more damage from enemy rockets, he said.
A graphic shows a Tamir interceptor missile and how it works. The solid propellant motor in a Tamir missile allows it to reach Mach 2. The proximity fuse warhead activates as the missile approaches its target. Within 10 metres (33 feet) of the target, the warhead detonates, destroying the enemy missile with fragments of high-speed metal.
The high rate of fire, especially during a full-blown conflict, puts a strain on the ammunition supply of any air defence system, Kalisky said. That is why saturation attacks are an attractive tactic, and why countries must stockpile air defence missiles, he added.
“It’s a problem with any type of ammunition,” he said. “You have to prepare in advance. You have to prepare for that kind of attack.”
Israel does not publicise the number of Tamir interceptors it produces or stockpiles. It also does not disclose the number of missiles fired by its air defence systems, although Kalisky said Iron Dome is designed to fire two missiles at each target.
The layers of defences and the use of systems tailor-made for Israel’s specific situation make Iron Dome especially potent, Panda said.
“Israel I think has the most effective missile defence solution for the threats it faces as a country,” he said. “It’s been pretty well established that Iron Dome has a concept of operation that is incredibly effective.”
Title photo
Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, as seen from the city of Ashkelon, Israel, Oct. 9, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
Sources
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
Edited by
Simon Scarr, Jon McClure and Ros Russell