Islamists find a way to get past Iron Dome
ugust 24, 2011: Terrorist groups in Gaza have figured out how to get around the new Israeli Iron Dome anti-rocket system. All you have to do is fire at least seven rockets simultaneously at the same area being guarded by one Iron Dome battery. Islamic terrorists did this recently. One rocket got through, and killed an Israeli civilian. This ‘saturation’ tactic is a problem with all air defense systems.
Israel has bought seven batteries of Iron Dome, to be delivered over the next two years. Two are in service, and a third will be ready by the end of the year. Each battery has radar and control equipment, and four missile launchers. Each battery costs about $37 million, which includes over fifty missiles.
During tests, Iron Dome detected and shot down BM-21 (122mm) and Kassam (crude versions made inside Gaza) rockets. Iron Dome uses two radars to quickly calculate the trajectory of the incoming rocket and do nothing if the rocket trajectory indicates it is going to land in an uninhabited area. But if the computers predict a rocket coming down in an inhabited area, a $40,000 guided missile is fired to intercept the rocket.
One thing this points to is the dynamic nature of offense/defense calculations. Sadly, this is something the press tends not to understand. Hence, they proclaim that active defense “doesn’t work”. But if the standard is that no missiles at all get through, then active defense will never work.