The Israel Air Force and Israel Navy announced this evening that they had completed a successful complicated trial allowing for the interception of rockets using an Iron Dome short range anti-missile defense system positioned on the deck of a combat vessel. The IDF has completed preparations lasting 18 months aimed at possessing capabilities to intercept rockets fired at marine targets, such as cargo ships, Israel Navy boats and natural gas rigs in the Mediterranean.
The IDF said that this evening's trial imagined a scenario similar to attempts by terrorist organizations in Gaza to strike marine targets during Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014. During the trial, an Iron Dome battery was placed aboard the Israel Navy's INS Lahav, which fired missiles to intercept both individual rockets and barrages of rockets.
Commanders of the trial said this evening that all the targets were intercepted successfully and precisely so that the IDF now has the operational capability of intercepting rockets fired at sea.
The Head of the Iron Dome program at the Ministry of Defense Lt. Co0l. A said that following the successful trial, Iron Dome would be developed for additional theaters of war according to the relevant threats.
Iron Dome has been developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. together with command and control software from the Israeli startup mPrest and radar from Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI) (TASE: ARSP.B1) ELTA Unit.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on November 27, 2017
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