Iron Dome

Iron Dome was developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, with a radar by Elta of Israel Aerospace Industries and battle-management software by mPrest, after Defense Minister Amir Peretz approved the project in 2007 amid rocket fire from Gaza and the lessons of the Second Lebanon War. Brig. Gen. Daniel Gold drove the program, which went from decision to deployment in under four years. On 7 April 2011 a battery near Ashkelon made the first combat interception, destroying a Grad rocket fired from Gaza.

The system's key trick is to calculate where each rocket will land and to fire its Tamir interceptors only at those heading for populated areas, saving costly missiles. Interception rates of around 90 percent changed life in southern Israel and later across the country, through the Gaza conflicts and the wars after 7 October 2023. The United States has helped fund batteries since 2011, and the US Army bought two. Iron Dome has a naval version, C-Dome, and is now joined by the laser system Iron Beam.