Iron Dome deployed around Sderot
Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system has finally been deployed to protect Sderot. The movement this week of an Iron Dome unit to Sderot, within four kilometres (two miles) of the Gaza Strip, signalled readiness to deal with short-range rocket and mortar barrages in the face of scepticism from some independent experts about its capabilities.Count me among the skeptics.
"Iron Dome has passed field trials for threats with ranges of between four kilometres to 40 kilometres, so this deployment tests the lower-most end of that spectrum," said Uzi Rubin, a missile designer who consults for Israel's Defence Ministry.
Noting the recent ebbing in violence along the frontier of the Hamas-ruled Gaza, Rubin said: "Let's hope action by Iron Dome is not required. But as a rule, Israel does not bring systems that are not operational into a war zone."
Disclosing the deployment on Thursday, a military source said it was part of a "rotation" of Israel's two Iron Domes while more of the $50 million (30 million pounds) batteries are prepared.
Israel wants between 10 and 15 units to defend its Palestinian and Lebanese fronts.
Labels: anti-missile systems, Iron Dome, Sderot
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:08 PM
3 Comments:
a good defense is a good offense
Its expensive but its success convinced the Palestinians to stop shooting and it may have a similar deterrent effect on Hezbollah.
Its not a substitute for a vigorous offense but it does buy Israel time to decide what military moves to make against the enemy in the future.
Wi"O" - The good offense could be to hit one of those f#*&ing rockets while it is still over Gaza so that it falls back toward the senders... I think if that happened once or twice, the townspeople would object to the rocket operations going out from their neighborhoods. Then again, if the brainwash has been done well enough, they won't care.
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