Kipat Barzel-Iron Dome: Israel's Missile Shield

by Federico Dal Cortivo

The Zionist state, financed by the U.S.,  is to be  equipped with an advanced anti-missile system called Iron Dome, which should serve as an impenetrable barrier to defend the Israeli cities. Israel has long felt the problem of how to defend their cities against missile attack by Hamas or Hizb Allah, who haven’t got yet a technology capable of creating serious problems, although it is not to exclude that they might be equipped in the future with such resources to counterattack efficiently the indiscriminate bombing of Lebanon done by Heyl Ha’Avir. Also, In the event of an attack against Tehran, they might have fear of eventual reprisals by Iran.


The Italian press reported the news  on July 23, 2010 in the newspaper of Berlusconi’s family “Il Giornale”, signed by Fiamma Nirenstein,  a parliamentary known as Israeli activist, under the emblematic title: "Israel now has a shield that protects it from missiles coming from the Teheran  friends”, where the deputy of  PDL, vice Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, usually well informed on what happens in Israel, enhancing the new weapon system, "capable of imposing a global strategic revolution", was clear  that "being protected by the attack of Iranian friends also creates the  “no fear” situation  in case of decision  to attack the nuclear facilities of Islamic Republic of Iran. "

A few sporadic homemade missiles "Qassam" (Fig. 1),  launched on the houses of the settlers, were used as  pretext of harsh reprisals by air onto the Gaza land and indicted  Israeli government   to improve their anti-aircraft defense. In 2007, the Ministry of Defense brought about the decision in the outbreak  of the attacks from Lebanon against the coastal cities to create a highly mobile missile system that can effectively protect the nearby villages. The plan is named "Iron Dome" (photo 2), in Yidish "Kipat Barzei" and the company responsible for its fabrication is  the Israeli firm Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd, on the cutting edge of missile production and defense systems too.

The specifications issued by the Ministry were clear: a missile system capable of intercepting rockets, missiles and artillery shells of  155 mm within the radius from 4 to 70 km (from 3 to 45 miles) in any weather condition, able to detect trajectory targets,  both the dangerous ones as well as  those that fall in uninhabited areas, with minimal collateral damage. It is certainly ambitious and very expensive project that the Rafael is carrying out, the first of its kind in the world, after the system has been operationally tested and apparently successful.

Two batteries were installed on March 27 to protect the town of Beersheba, followed by those on April 4 at  the port of Ashqelon, after launching of the Grad rockets (photo 3), which certainly  were not the weapons of the last generation. Obviously the system has not achieved its full capacity yet, but in any case it can be considered innovative.

THE WEAPON SYSTEM consists of three elements: launcher-search and tracking radar - BMC unit (Battle Management and Control).

The radar  detects ( rockets and missiles over the distance of 300 km and artillery shells over 100km ) and identifies the rockets or artillery shells, it checks the exact trajectory and sends the data to the BMC, which processes them, tracing immediately an estimated point of impact. At this point if the system “finds” that there are dangerous paths, a missile interceptor is launched immediately, which in turn gets updated in real time and uses its radar to focus the target, then a special warhead with proximity fuse explodes destroying the intruder.
 

Israel has decided to invest  something like a billion dollars, as declared precisely  by Udi Shani, the Director of the Ministry of Defence in 2010, which indicates a necessity of  10-15 batteries, though perhaps more appropriate number would approach 20 (10 from 2014 to 2015).

FINANCING BY THE USA

On 18 April this year the Israeli Prime Minister, Netanyahu Benbjamin has publicly thanked the United States and in particular the President Obama, who addressed to the Congress in 2010, for  the substantial economic support to the project. In fact,  the Congress has allocated more than 205 million dollars specifically for "Iron Dome", which adds up to 3 billion $ that U.S. gives for Israeli weapons each year, the agreement that lasts until 2017 and without which the Zionist state could hardly finance its massive war machine.
 

The system, despite the help of the Atlantic allied, is looming to be very expensive, perhaps because of this, the government sources have been quick to declare that the Iron Dome might attract some foreign buyers, including the United States, which are, however, already pursuing a similar project. Since 2008,  the  Lockheed Martin and Grumman Nurthrop, with the budget of $ 8.6 million and $ 5.9 million respectively, work in this direction and will present a final draft to the U.S. Army in 2012. The company  Raytheon is involved, too, which can boast about its good experience on the field with the fabrication of "Centurion", based on the Phalanx weapon deriving from navy system. The centurion uses explosive shells of 20 mm containing  depleted uranium , which  explode near the target covering it with fragments and destroying it. It  has been used in Iraq to protect sensitive targets and it seems to be very successful.

Sources:-Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd

-Defense News