Iron Dome

The Iron Dome is an air and missile defense system developed by Israel-based defense company Rafael and commissioned by the Israeli government. Iron Dome was developed to intercept enemy rockets in response to their favored use by terrorist organizations such as Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

The Iron Dome's initial deployment was in 2011, just before Operation Pillar of Defense. 10 batteries came into service with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) by 2021. The US military has partnered with Israel to manufacture and develop aspects of the system, with an eye toward adopting the platform itself.

Each Iron Dome battery consists of three parts, a detection system, a command post, and launch tubes. When an enemy launches a rocket, the battery detects the projectile, and determines if the trajectory of an enemy rocket poses a threat, so teams engage only if there is imminent danger to a population center. A Tamir interceptor missile is then launched at the target, and knocks it from the sky. Usually, a single Tamir missile is launched per interception, but for heavier rockets, two Tamirs are launched for each interception. Each battery can hold 20 missiles at a time.

The system has undergone significant improvement since it was first introduced. In May 2021 the IDF reported that the Iron Dome boasted a 90% interception rate. The defense system has also since been used to intercept more than just rockets -- it has successfully stopped mortar bombs and drones.

Each battery is estimated to cost as much as $50 million. Many estimates for the cost of Tamir interceptors are around $40,000-$50,000, but an American army missile budget listed each unit at around $163,000. This means an interception could cost as little as $40,000 and as much as $326,000.

Iron Dome is not a hermetic seal, and while it has successfully intercepted hundreds of rockets, terrorist organizations have adjusted their practices to capitalize on the system's weaknesses. Sufficiently sized rocket barrages can overwhelm the limited capacity of the Iron Dome.

Iron Dome

'Best air defense system': Rafael chairman discusses Israel's preparedness for possible Iran attack

Rimon wins $4 million Iron Dome contracts, boosting Israel’s defense supply chain

Rafael to showcase wide range of surface-to-air defense capabilities at 2026 Singapore Airshow

'I don’t know s***': Trump invites Vecna and Freddy Krueger to Board of Peace on Eretz Nehederet

Iraqi militias intensify strikes on Israel: IDF interceptions surge, Alma research reveals

US boosts Israel defense aid by $5.2 billion for laser tech, Iron Dome, David’s Sling

David's Sling intercepts rocket from Lebanon for first time

Israel's Iron Beam laser air-defense operational next year, Rafael CEO confirms

Airline flight cancellation chaos to Israel is unsustainable - analysis

Techtonic and IAI strengthen Israel's critical infrastructure - opinion

How to tackle defending against Iran, Hezbollah from ex-air defense chief Ran Kochav - exclusive

Rocket victim Michael Samara saves six lives with marathon organ donation

The IDF’s legal ‘Iron Dome’: Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi defends Israel

Artillery strikes Khan Yunis area after nearly two dozen rockets pepper South