The C-Dome defense system made its first baptism of fire overnight Monday after intercepting a drone that entered Israeli airspace from the east, near the Eilat area in southern Israel.
The C-Dome is the naval version of the famed Iron Dome missile defense system and is installed on the Israeli Navy's Sa'ar 6-class corvettes and joins the Barak defense system which is designed to shoot down larger and more distant threats.
First operational interception of C-Dome defense system on board Israeli Navy Sa'ar 6-class corvette
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
The Defense Ministry, IDF, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries conducted successful trials of the C-Dome system last May, about five months before the outbreak of the war.
During these trials, Shayetet 3 missile boat squadron troops launched interceptors at simulated existing and future threats that the Sa’ar 6-class ships might encounter during conflict, such as rockets, cruise missiles and drones.
In the trial, ship systems were integrated into the multi-layered defense array, testing new technologies to enhance the operational effectiveness of the aerial defense apparatus at sea and on land.
"The success of the trial marks another important milestone in the system's development against existing and future threats in the IDF's various theaters of operation," the military said.
The C-Dome system is designed to intercept rockets, missiles and drones to protect maritime infrastructure, gas platforms and other naval assets. It essentially serves as an extension of the Iron Dome system, which is intended for land-based interception.
The C-Dome on Sa'ar 6 ships is integrated into the national aerial defense array, which also includes the Arrow and David's Sling systems.
The first Sa'ar 6-class corvette arrived in Israel in late 2020 and entered operational service in the middle of last year. Their operational debut came with the onset of the war, during which they first struck a weapon manufacturing facility, a deployment and a Hamas naval force observation post in the Gaza Strip.
Monday night, shortly before midnight, an alarm sounded in the city of Eilat and its vicinity due to a drone infiltration from the east. Shortly thereafter, the IDF announced that naval forces had identified the suspicious target that had crossed into Israeli territory and successfully intercepted it using the C-Dome system. The interceptor was launched from the new Sa'ar 6 corvette, and according to the IDF statement, the target was being tracked by IDF forces. No injuries or damage were reported.
Trial of C-Dome defense system, May 2023
(Video: Defense Ministry)
Earlier this month, the IDF reported that a drone, launched by pro-Iranian militias from Jordan, had struck a naval base in Eilat. The alarm that sounded then was the first in Eilat in three weeks, following which the IDF updated that a "suspicious target that had crossed from Jordan toward Israeli territory" had exploded in the Eilat Bay area, causing minor damage to a building without any injuries.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, comprised of pro-Iranian militias operating in Iraq and Syria, announced that they had attacked a "vital target" in Israeli territory, and published a photo with the caption, "Eilat, and beyond Eilat."