IRON DOME (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

News-CRUX-10     9th October 2023        
QEP Pocket Notes

Context: Israel's Iron Dome, an anti-missile system, successfully thwarted more than 5,000 rockets fired from Gaza, a confined region with a population of 2.3 million Palestinians.
Iron Dome

  • About: Israel's air missile defense system, known as the Iron Dome, safeguards against short-range rockets by intercepting them mid-air.
  • Capability: It can effectively handle multiple rockets simultaneously.
  • Development: Created by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries, the system became operational in March 2011.

Features

  • Functionality: The Iron Dome identifies and intercepts various targets, including mortars, rockets, and artillery.
  • Power Source: It operates using missile-defense batteries.
  • All-Weather Performance: It functions day or night and in diverse weather conditions like fog, rain, dust storms, and low clouds.
  • Versatile Interceptors: The system can launch various interceptor missiles.
  • Range: Designed to intercept missiles with a range of approximately 40 miles or less.
  • Mobility: It can be transported by land or sea to adapt to defense requirements.
  • Reload Requirement: Continuous missile interception necessitates reloading.
QEP Pocket Notes