TEL AVIV, Israel: A new footage of Iron Dome – Israel’s air missile defence system designed to shield the country from short-range rocket threats – malfunction has gone viral on social media.
Developed by Rafael Advanced Defence Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries, the air missile defence system became operational in 2011. Even in November, it had reportedly malfunctioned, with an interceptor rocket landing in the central area of the city of Rishon LeZion, south of Tel Aviv.
The recent footage featuring Tel Aviv showed a mishap of the Iron Dome interceptor. The missiles went awry, fell and hit nearby locations. The Israeli forces have said that they are launching an investigation and added it could be for technical reasons.
How it works
The Iron Dome employs a Multi-Mission Radar (MMR) to detect incoming rocket trajectories. MMR is a highly mobile, stand-alone radar that provides the soldier with multi-mission target acquisition in a single system. Once detected, the system’s command and control centre swiftly assesses the rocket’s path and potential impact area. It then determines if the missile poses a threat to populated areas.
When a threat is identified, the command-and-control centre orders the launcher to fire an intercepting rocket, precisely targeting the incoming threat in mid-air.
Interestingly, the Iron Dome’s artificial intelligence distinguishes between harmless rockets and those endangering human lives, ensuring efficient resource allocation.
Key Features
It has been designed for short-range missiles with a range of about 40 miles or fewer. It is mobile and adaptable and can be deployed on land or ships as required. It needs reloading to maintain continuous missile interception capabilities.
