What is Israel’s Iron Dome? How the missile defense system works

The Iron Dome missile defense system, or “Kippat Barzel” in Hebrew, is widely regarded as one of the most important tools in Israel’s defensive arsenal.

Designed to protect Israeli citizens from aerial attacks by launching guided missiles to intercept incoming rockets and other short-range threats, the mobile all-weather defense system has been fully operational since March 2011.

Israel’s Defense Ministry says the system has been upgraded several times and “successfully prevented countless rockets from hitting Israeli communities.”

The Iron Dome was developed in Israel by state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems with U.S. backing — and Washington continues to provide funding for it.

Israel’s Defense Forces say the Iron Dome is a compilation of several features: the technology itself, the machinery used to intercept incoming rockets, the soldiers who operate the system and the commanders who supervise the network.

In practice, the Iron Dome uses radar to track incoming rockets and determines whether the missile’s trajectory threatens a protected area, such as a strategically important site or population center.

If the rocket does pose a threat, a command and control center responds by launching its own Tamir missile to intercept it.

The system is not configured to fire outside of a protected area, however, and rockets that don’t endanger people or buildings are typically ignored and permitted to land.

A 2023 Congressional Research Service report described the Iron Dome as a mobile anti-rocket, anti-mortar and anti-artillery system that can intercept launches from 2.5 to 43 miles away.

It is estimated to have at least 10 batteries deployed nationwide, each of which is designed to defend a 60-square-mile populated area. Each battery is equipped with three to four launchers and each launcher contains up to 20 Tamir interceptors.

The Center for Strategic International Studies, a U.S. think tank, has estimated that a single Iron Dome battery costs more than $100 million to produce.

Since 2011, the United States has provided billions of dollars to Israel for Iron Dome batteries, interceptors, co-production costs and general maintenance since it became operational.

Much of this money has been appropriated by Congress, where bipartisan majorities have consistently voted in favor of providing funding to Israel’s Iron Dome.

The Iron Dome has its weaknesses, however.

Analysts have warned that the defense system could encounter challenges when responding to heavy rocket fire.

The Center for European Policy Analysis, a U.S. think tank, said in June 2021 that the system was potentially vulnerable to a “saturation” attack, designed to overwhelm the Iron Dome shield with simultaneous missile attacks from multiple directions.