Monday, July 14th, 2014 | Posted by WorldTribune.com
Israel deploys 8th Iron Dome battery, achieves 90 percent intercept rate in current war
Special to WorldTribune.com
TEL AVIV — The Israel Air Force has expanded its fleet of Iron Dome missile and rocket defense batteries.
The Air Force deployed its latest Iron Dome battery on July 12 amid the mini-war with the Gaza Strip. The battery was said to be the eighth Iron Dome, produced by the state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
“First and foremost, it saves lives and grants us expanded opportunities
for managing the campaign against Hamas,” Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon
said.
Officials said Iron Dome achieved an interception rate of 90 percent
during the current war with Hamas and Islamic Jihad. They said Rafael has
enhanced several of the batteries to intercept the latest Palestinian
medium- and long-range rockets. On July 14, the air force intercepted a
suspected Hamas unmanned aerial vehicle over southern Israel.
“In the past week, we carried out a very complex technological exercise
to deliver the eighth system,” a Defense Ministry official said.
The latest Iron Dome was said to have been deployed in the Tel Aviv
area, the main target of Hamas and Jihad. Officials said the latest battery
reflected U.S. aid for fast-tracked production that would include the U.S.
firm Raytheon.
“It sends a message to countries and organizations amassing huge
quantities of rockets and missiles,” Ya’alon said.
Officials said the latest Iron Dome included technology from the David’s
Sling low-tier ballistic missile defense system. They said David’s Sling,
still under development, would be interoperable with Iron Dome, including
radar and battle management.
http://www.worldtribune.com/2014/07/14/israel-says-iron-dome-batteries-intercepting-90-percent-hamas-rockets/
