Israel Matzav

"Iron Dome" missile defense system tested

Israel has begun testing the "Iron Dome" missile defense system which is supposed to protect 'Sderot and Ashkelon.' Let's go to the videotape and then I'll have some comments.



You will note that the report raises the problem with the system that came up last winter, in which it came out that Iron Dome is ineffective against Kassams that are shot from less than four (actually four and a half) kilometers away. It raises the problem but it doesn't really point to a resolution. It says that Iron Dome can intercept missiles 'within seconds.' That's very nice, but how many seconds does it take? As you will recall, a Kassam rocket takes about nine seconds to get from Beit Hanoun to Sderot. Will Iron Dome detect and shoot down a rocket within nine seconds? The report doesn't address the issue.

Second, the system is "95% effective." Not good enough. The 'Palestinians' have shot more than 4000 rockets at Sderot since 2005. 95% effective means that about 200 of those rockets still get through. Sixty-six rockets a year, or one every five days or so. Would you be willing to live in a place where a Kassam rocket hits every five days or so? Would you be willing to live in a place where the 'color red' alarm goes off 4000 times in three years even if 'only 200' of the rockets actually hits? I didn't think so. They wouldn't be willing to live like that in Tel Aviv either.

Third, the report states that the system will be ready in 2010. That's also very nice but it's two years from now. What are the people of the 'Gaza envelope' expected to do until then? Live in shelters? If it were Tel Aviv, you can bet that a two-year wait time would not be considered acceptable. But since it's only Sderot.... Skyguard would have been ready sooner, but that would have meant all that money going to American defense contractors instead of to Israel's Rafael.

Finally, the entire concept of Iron Dome is misguided. It's being used as a means of avoiding doing what has to be done. It's being done to avoid clearing out the nest of terrorist vipers that exists in Gaza. Instead, we are cowering behind the 'shield' of Iron Dome. No matter how effective Iron Dome might be (and as I've shown above, it's still not been shown to be particularly effective), it's no substitute for an active military that defends Israel against all threats. Unfortunately, the Olmert-Barak-Livni-Yishai government has castrated the IDF and left it and the entire country cowering behind an 'iron dome' instead of going into Gaza and killing off the terrorists. Israel will pay for this folly for years to come. Ehud K. Olmert will live in France.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:00 AM