Israeli Air Force Pegs Iron Dome’s Interception Rate at 90 Percent
by JNS.org
JNS.org – The Iron Dome missile defense system had a 90-percent success rate during Operation Protective Edge and was even able to intercept 10 mortar shells, a senior Israeli Air Force officer said Wednesday, Israel Hayom reported.
Iron Dome was designed to detect projectiles fired to distances ranging from 2.5 miles to 43 miles. As mortal shells have a much shorter range and a flatter trajectory, they usually do not register on the system’s radar.
The Iron Dome is also designed to determine whether rockets are headed toward a populated area or an open one. Projectiles recognized as headed toward open spaces, where they can cause no harm, are usually allowed to hit the ground.
The mortars that were intercepted by Iron Dome were “longer-rage mortars,” the officer said, noting they were intercepted largely due to the swift action of the defense system’s operators.