New climbing in conflict Dand Near East. Iran The city of Tel Aviv. This attack raises tension even more in this war and has put into operation the Iron dome (Iron Dome, in English)
It is an antimile defense system developed by Israel, designed to intercept and destroy short -range rockets and artillery projectiles that are directed towards populated areas. Created by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, with the participation of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and the financial and technological support of the United States, this system is a key piece in Israel's defense strategy against missile threats from militant groups in the Gaza Strip, like Hamas, andfrom the south of Lebanon, DOND OPERA THE GROUP Hezbollah.
Origin and development
The development of Iron dome It started after the Second War of Lebanon in 2006when Israel was attacked with thousands of rockets launched by Hezbollah From Lebanon. These attacks showed the vulnerability of the country against asymmetric threats that could not be arrested by conventional media. At the same time, the climb of rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip It was also a determining factor that promoted the project.
The initial development phase began in 2007 and, after several years of tests and improvement, the Iron dome It was declared operational in 2011. The first deployment of this system took place near the city of Beershebaone of the most threatened by the rockets fired from Gaza.
System operation
The Iron dome It is composed of three main components:
Detection and monitoring radar: This radar is able to identify the launch of a rocket or projectile from its point of origin, calculate its trajectory and determine if it is directed towards a populated or critical area.
Battle Control Center (BMC): The control center is the “brain” of the system. With the data provided by the radar, it quickly evaluates if the projectile represents a real threat. If so, the decision is made to intercept it.
Tamir interceptor missile launchers: If the control center determines that the rocket will fall into a populated area, the system launches an interceptor, called Tamir, which is guided towards the incoming projectile. The interceptor missile explodes in the air near the enemy rocket, neutralizing it before it causes damage.
Israel's attack.
One of the most prominent aspects of the Iron dome is its high success rate, which has been reported around 90% In many clashes. This level of effectiveness has made the system a pillar of the Israeli defense, protecting the main cities of the country and its civilian population of the constant rocket attacks.
Strategic advantages
The main strategic advantage of the Iron dome is its ability to protect the civilian population of attacks that, otherwise, would cause many casualties and destruction of infrastructure. Before the creation of the system, the inhabitants of cities such as Sderot o Ashkelon They suffered constant bombings and only had shelters to protect themselves. The iron dome has transformed this reality, providing Israel more time and ability to respond to aggressions without suffering so many losses.
Another relevant aspect is that, when intercepting the rockets, the iron dome It reduces the need for immediate military reprisals, which contributes to containing violent climbs. This does not mean that confrontations stop, but allows Israel to avoid massive responses that may worsen the situation in diplomatic or humanitarian terms.
An expensive system that is not totally infallible
Despite its success, the Iron dome It is not infallible. The system is designed to intercept short -range rockets, but its effectiveness decreases in the face of mass and coordinated attacks, when tens or even hundreds of projectiles are launched simultaneously. In addition, it is not prepared to intercept long -range missiles or airplanes, threats to which Israel has other defense systems, such as the David's Sling and the Arrow.
Another limitation is the cost of operating the system. Each tamir interceptor has an approximate price of between $ 40,000 and $ 100,000which represents a considerable investment for each intercepted attack, especially when The rockets thrown by Hamas or Hezbollah are much cheaper to produce.
