Context:
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict – Hundreds of Hamas militants broke from blockaded Gaza Strip and entered Israeli towns killing many.
About Iron Dome:
- A short-range air defense system (Considered one of the most advanced)
- Developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries.
- Success rate – 96 % in intercepting rockets
- Primary objective: to keep the citizens of Israel safe from barrages of rockets deployed most often from the Gaza Strip.
- Uses a radar in order to identify and destroy air-based threats
- Became operational in 2011.
How does it work?
- The Iron Dome system comprises mobile units that launch radar-guided missiles to intercept and neutralize short-range threats such as rockets, mortars, and drones while they are in flight.
- The all-weather system doesn’t engage all the rockets detected by Israel’s radar.
- Instead, it employs an Artificial Intelligence-driven mechanism to assess whether an incoming rocket poses a legitimate threat and is headed for a populated area.
- If the rocket doesn’t meet these criteria, the Iron Dome system chooses not to intercept it, allowing it to enter Israeli airspace.
- Originally, the Iron Dome ranged from 4 to 70 kilometers – the coverage range may have since been extended.
Iron Beam is a directed-energy weapon air defense system. The system is specifically engineered to eliminate short-range rockets, artillery, and mortar shells, with a maximum range of up to 7 kilometers
Other major Air Defence Systems:
- Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) – USA
- S-400 – Russia
Source: Hindustan Times
Previous year question
What is “Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)”, sometimes seen in the news?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2018 Prelims]
(a) An Israeli radar system
(b) India’s indigenous anti-missile programme
(c) An American anti-missile system
(d) A defence collaboration between Japan and South Korea.
Answer: (c)
Explanation:
The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) is a highly effective, combat-proven defense against short, medium and intermediate-range ballistic missile threats.
THAAD is the only U.S. system designed to intercept targets outside and inside the atmosphere.
