Iron Dome in action
Photo: AFP
'Iron Dome failures not due to penny pinching'
Despite direct hits on several southern cities it IDF maintains rocket defense system has 85% success rate, says interceptions not avoided in bid to save money
The recent escalation in southern Israel has illustrated the importance of the Iron Dome system, which so far has demonstrated impressive capabilities in the field of aerial defense.
In spite of the direct hit in Ashdod, two rockets exploding in the Gadera area and one Qassam rocket exploding near a kindergarten in the Eshkol Regional Council, the system registered 11 successful interceptions. The IDF estimates that the system has an 85% success rate.
Defense
Yoav Zitun
With Beersheba suffering two direct hits in less than an hour, Air Force tries to lower public's expectations of rocket interception system. 'There is no hermetic seal'
“This is not a hermetic system,” explained a senior air force source when addressing the failed interceptions. According to the source, the failed interception in Beersheba on Monday was caused by a faulty interception missile that fell to the ground after launch without exploding.
The air force stressed that the technological advances expressed in the ability to synchronize between defense and offense systems is what gives the system a better ability to locate targets as well as give the Home Front Command and residents an earlier warning.
The source also addressed the amount of munitions and the nature in which they are being used and rejected claims that financial concerns were taken into consideration when operating the system. “The process of manufacturing the intercepting missiles is ongoing and has not been halted.
“We have the basic stock (of missiles) while at the same time, production is ongoing. Our munitions policy is run in coordination with intelligence and we have equivocally not avoided interception launches in an attempt to save money.”
More than 40 rockets fired from the Gaza Strip exploded in Israel Monday, with the Iron Dome missile defense system intercepting 13 incoming projectiles. The Air Force staged more than 10 strikes in Gaza, killing at least two Islamic Jihad terrorists.
On Monday Palestinian sources reported that a strike aimed at a terror cell operating near a school in the northern Gaza Strip resulted in the death of a man and his daughter, who were passing nearby at the time of the attack. Terror cell members escaped injury in the strike, the Palestinians said.
The IDF later confirmed the reporting, noting that only after the strike it became clear that Gaza civilians uninvolved in the fighting were hit.
Dozens of Grad missiles and Qassam rockets were fired at Israel's western Negev communities, hitting the entire southern sector, from the Gaza vicinity communities and Sderot, to Beersheba, Ashdod, Ashkelon Gan Yavne and Gedera; followed by the sounds of exploding projectiles.
Two women suffered shrapnel injuries, several people suffered shock and damage was caused to various properties through the area.
- Receive Ynetnews updates
directly to your desktop
