06 Juin 2015 i24news.tv

Le Hamas accuse les salafistes liés à l'EI d'avoir tiré des roquettes sur Israël pour envenimer la situation

L’armée israélienne a redéployé vendredi plusieurs batteries de Dôme de fer près des villes d’Ashdod et de Netivot dans le sud d’Israël, après que deux roquettes tirées depuis la bande de Gaza ont explosé en territoire israélien mercredi soir.

Mercredi, les sirènes ont retenti dans plusieurs villes du sud d'Israël ainsi que dans les localités israéliennes proches de la bande de Gaza. Deux roquettes ont explosé sur le sol israélien, dans des terrains vagues et sans faire de victimes.

L'armée israélienne a procédé dans la nuit de mercredi à jeudi à des raids de représailles contre trois infrastructures terroristes dans la bande de Gaza, sans faire de blessé.

La semaine dernière, l'armée de l'air israélienne avait mené quatre frappes contre des sites terroristes de la bande de Gaza, quelques heures après qu'au moins une roquette a explosé sur le sud d'Israël, sans faire de blessé.

Suite de l’article

12.10.2014 Avner Myers - IsraelValley

Le système d’interception de roquettes est conçu pour annihiler une menace à laquelle la plupart des pays ne sont pas confrontés.

Normalement, un nouveau système d’arme de pointe avec un taux de réussite prouvé de 90% sur le terrain, serait contacté en quelques minutes par l’ensemble des agences mondiales d’approvisionnement en matière de défense. Mais le Dôme de Fer israélien anti-roquette doit encore faire ses preuves auprès des acheteurs à l’étranger.

En termes de réalisations opérationnelles, le Dôme de Fer est sans rival sur le marché de l’armement. Actif sur les fronts à la bande de Gaza, au Liban et au Sinaï égyptien, le système connait un taux de réussite de 90%. Mais selon Avnish Patel, du Royal United Services Institute, le problème réside dans le fait qu’il soit conçu pour faire face au défi israélien très spécifique que constitue la lutte contre les roquettes et les missiles de courte portée utilisés par des groupes armées.

Fabricant de l’Iron Dome, la société publique Rafael aurait pu ne pas commercialiser son système de défense et éviter ainsi les risques de fuites de technologie, explique Yossi Druker, Vice-Président de la société. Mais l’exportation en matière d’armement est aujourd’hui une nécessité afin de diminuer les coûts de fabrication. Selon Druker, «Rafael a investi des millions de shekels dans le développement de ce système, Il ne pouvait pas se permettre de le faire sans avoir prévu de le commercialiser à l’étranger.

Jusqu’à présent, le Dôme de Fer n’a été acheté que par un seul pays étranger dont l’identité est tenue secrète. En outre, la liste des de clients potentiels ne comprend pas les pays avec lesquels Israël n’a pas de relations diplomatiques, ce qui exclut les Pays du Golfe pourtant soucieux de la bonne tenue d’une défense antimissile dans un contexte de bras de fer avec l’Iran. La Chine et la Russie dont le dispositif militaire est surveillé de près par Washington, ne sont pas éligibles pour une commercialisation de l’Iron Dome. A l’inverse Rafael reconnaît promouvoir le Dôme de Fer en Corée du Sud et en Inde, respectivement menacé par la Corée du Nord et client le plus important d’Israël dans le domaine de la défense.

Les Etats-Unis, qui ont été étroitement impliqués dans le projet en fournissant plus de 1 milliard de dollars, ont refusé d’acheter le Dôme de Fer pour ses forces armées déployées en Afghanistan et en Irak. Parmi les craintes du Pentagone figure le fait de débourser 100.000 dollars pour l’utilisation de chaque missile intercepteur, a déclaré Riki Ellison, Président de l’U.S. Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance. Il souligne également l’inadéquation du système avec les tirs de mortiers qui connaissent une faible trajectoire. Israël est pleinement consciente de cette menace, ayant perdu dans ces circonstances 15 soldats et civils au cours de l’été. Pour pallier à cette insuffisance, Rafael est en train d’élaborer l’Iron Beam, qui se veut un système qui utilise des lasers pour détruire les obus de mortier.

Malgré des inquiétudes initiales sur des fuites de technologie, Rafael explique que la sécurité nationale israélienne ne serait pas affectée si cela devait se produire. L’armée israélienne utilise le modèle de quatrième génération du Dôme de Fer, ne laissant à Rafael que la possibilité de commercialiser à l’étranger les versions antérieures.

10.07.2014 Par Hélène Sallon - Le Monde.fr

Le système de défense anti-missile israélien « Dôme de fer » (« kipat barzel », en hébreu) a intercepté, depuis le début de l’opération « Bordure protectrice », des dizaines de roquettes tirées par les mouvements palestiniens depuis la bande de Gaza, dans le sud du pays ainsi que sur les principales villes israéliennes : Tel-Aviv, Jérusalem ou même Haïfa, à 160 kilomètres au nord de l’enclave palestinienne. Ce système, unique au monde, est l’un des éléments centraux du système de défense développé par Israël depuis le milieu des années 1990.

UNE TECHNOLOGIE DE POINTE...

Le Dôme de fer recourt à de petits missiles guidés par radar, pouvant anéantir en plein vol des roquettes de courte portée − de 4 à 70 kilomètres – et des obus d’artillerie et de mortier. Chaque batterie du Dôme de fer comprend un radar de détection et de pistage, un logiciel de contrôle de tir et trois lanceurs équipés chacun de vingt missiles d’interception. Le système repère la trajectoire de la roquette depuis son lancement. Si elle doit s’abattre sur une zone habitée, il tire un missile pour l’intercepter en vol. Selon les statistiques de l’armée, son taux de réussite oscille entre 75 et 90 %.

... QUI A UN COÛT ÉLEVÉ

Chaque batterie coûte 500 000 dollars et chaque missile, 60 000 dollars. Le tout pour détruire une roquette dont le coût de production n’est souvent que de 1 000 dollars. La mise en place du système, décidée en 2005, avait d’ailleurs été retardée, pour mieux former le personnel, mais aussi parce qu’il semblait exagérément cher. Israël aurait investi un milliard de dollars dans le développement et la production de ces batteries, confié au groupe d’armement public Rafael Advances Defence Systems.

Les Etats-Unis le financent en partie. Lors de sa visite à Sderot, en juillet 2008, Barack Obama, encore sénateur à l’époque, avait été ému par la situation des habitants de cette localité du nord de Gaza. Elu président la même année, il a obtenu à peine un an après le vote au Congrès d’une aide de 205 millions de dollars (160 millions d’euros), en plus des trois milliards d’aide militaire octroyée chaque année à Israël. Le Pentagone a prévu un financement de 220,3 millions de dollars pour l’exercice budgétaire 2014 et table sur 176 millons en 2015, après 204 millions de dollars en 2011 et 70 en 2012. En dépit des sommes investies, les Etats-Unis n’ont aucun droit sur la technologie du système.

SIX BATTERIES DÉPLOYÉES DANS LE PAYS

La première batterie a été installée en mars 2011 dans la région de Bersheeva, à 40 kilomètres de la bande de Gaza et à portée des roquettes Grad de conception russe. Trois autres ont été installées près des villes côtières d’Ashkelon et Ashdod, au sud de Tel-Aviv, et près de Nétivot, à 20 kilomètres de la bande de Gaza. Une cinquième batterie a été installée fin 2012 à Tel-Aviv. Une batterie supplémentaire a été déployée depuis. Ces batteries sont semi-mobiles. Les lanceurs sont posés sur des bases de conteneurs.

Une batterie serait à elle seule en mesure de défendre efficacement une ville comme Ashkelon (100 000 habitants). Selon les experts militaires, un total de 13 batteries est nécessaire pour assurer la couverture complète du territoire israélien. Face à des salves simultanées de projectiles, le système risque en effet de saturer en raison du nombre limité de batteries disponibles.

Le commandement des batteries est confié à un chef de batterie, qui se réfère à un commandement central. Le temps de prise de décision pour une interception est court, environ deux minutes entre le lancement et l’impact d’un projectile, note Joseph Henrotin, rédacteur en chef de la revue Défense et sécurité internationales (DSI). Cela explique que l’interception se fasse près du point d’impact, une fois que le système s’est verrouillé sur la cible.

POLÉMIQUE SUR L’EFFICACITÉ DU DÔME DE FER

Selon les Israéliens, le système aurait permis, pendant l’offensive israélienne « Pilier de défense » sur la bande de Gaza en novembre 2012 d’intercepter 85 % des roquettes venues de l’enclave palestinienne. Quelque 1 500 roquettes avaient été tirées depuis la bande de Gaza. Cette estimation avait été contestée à l’époque par l’expert militaire du quotidien Haaretz, Reuven Pedatzur, qui avançait pour sa part un taux proche de 5 %. Le spécialiste s’appuyait sur les évaluations du professeur américain Theodore Postol, du Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Le Pentagone a procédé à ses propres études et conclu que le système n’était pas dénué d’efficacité.

La question de l’efficacité du système est complexe, pointe Joseph Henrotin. « Il y a des batteries meilleures que d’autres. La réussite dépendant également de l’entraînement des personnels, de la capacité à identifier les cibles et à réagir rapidement. cela explique que le taux d’interception soit variable d’un jour à l’autre », indique le spécialiste. Le système est sans cesse perfectionné pour améliorer l’algorithme de traitement des trajectoires au niveau de la station radar ou sa capacité à répondre à des salves simultanées.

90 % DE RÉUSSITE PENDANT L’OPÉRATION « BORDURE PROTECTRICE »

Une roquette tombe près de la ville de Sdérot, dans le sud d'Israël, mercredi 9 juillet. Une roquette tombe près de la ville de Sdérot, dans le sud d'Israël, mercredi 9 juillet. | REUTERS/RONEN ZVULUN

Selon le journaliste militaire d’Haaretz Amos Harel, le système de défense antimissile Dôme de fer a, entre lundi 7 et mercredi 9 juillet, enregistré un taux de réussite de 90 % lorsqu’il a été activé. Le système n’est activé que lorsque les projectiles se dirigent vers des zones habitées, a indiqué Peter Lerner, le porte-parole de l’armée israélienne. Quarante-cinq projectiles ont ainsi été interceptés entre lundi soir et mercredi, soit 27 % des 180 roquettes tirées par les mouvements palestiniens de la bande de Gaza. Vingt projectiles supplémentaires ont été interceptés dans la journée de mercredi et la nuit suivante sur les 80 tirés depuis la bande de Gaza.

UNE PROTECTION « MULTICOUCHES »

 « Depuis le milieu des années 2000, les Israéliens ont un système intégré de surveillance anti-balistique et antiaérien multi-couches », indique Joseph Henrotin. Ce système intégré s’appuie sur des avions de détection aérienne avancée de type RG 550 Eitam, des stations de radar volantes et des radars au sol. « Toutes les informations sont centralisées en temps réel dans un même centre de commandement, poursuit le spécialiste en stratégie militaire. Le Dôme de fer a son propre système de radars, relié également au centre. Il dispose d’un meilleur radar de détection en termes de trajectrométrie. »

D'autres dispositifs d’interception complètent ce système. Depuis 2010, les Etats-Unis et Israël développent le système de défense « Baguette magique » et son missile « Fronde de David » (« kala David »). Ce système est dirigé contre les missiles de courte portée (supérieure à 70 km mais inférieure à 250 km), les roquettes de longue portée, les gros calibres (dont les ogives peuvent aller jusqu’à une demi-tonne) et les missiles de croisière. Ce système est toujours en développement. Il a toutefois été intégré à l’une des batteries du Dôme de fer. Il est davantage destiné à être déployé dans le nord d’Israël pour intercepter les roquettes du mouvement chiite libanais Hezbollah, de plus longue portée que celles des mouvements palestiniens de la bande de Gaza.

Le système « Arrow » (« la flèche » ou « hetz » en hébreu), opérationnel depuis 2000, protège Israël des missiles balistiques d’une portée supérieure à 250 kilomètres. Washington finance la moitié de son coût annuel. Le programme « Arrow II » a été développé par Boeing et Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), à partir de 1995, pour éliminer les missiles balistiques conventionnels à plus longue portée, en particulier iraniens (d’une portée de plus de 1 600 km). Pour contrer une éventuelle attaque nucléaire de Téhéran, Israël a développé un intercepteur qui peut localiser et entrer en collision avec des missiles balistiques au-delà de l’atmosphère terrestre : « Arrow III ». La conception, confiée à IAI et Boeing, a été lancée en 2008. Il devrait être opérationnel en 2015, estiment les autorités israéliennes.

La défense israélienne ne se résume pas à ces dispositifs mais comprend tout un spectre d’action, souligne Joseph Henrotin : frappes aériennes sur les lanceurs et les tunnels de contrebande, interception de livraisons d’armes, ainsi qu’une dimension passive : le respect des mesures de sécurité par la population israélienne en cas de tirs de projectile, notamment les abris antiaériens installés dans les sous-sols de la plupart des immeubles du pays.

09 juillet 2014 Romandie.com (AFP)

Jérusalem - Au moins cinq roquettes ont été tirées mercredi matin vers Tel-Aviv et sa banlieue et ont été interceptées par le système Iron Dome, a indiqué la radio militaire.

Les sirènes d'alerte ont retenti et les roquettes ont été interceptées en vol par une batterie d'Iron Dome un système d'interception de missiles, a ajouté la radio en rappelant que mardi Tel-Aviv et Jérusalem avaient été visés par des roquettes tirées de la bande de Gaza contrôlée par les islamistes palestiniens du Hamas.

Cette attaque contre Tel-Aviv a été lancée peu après que l'aviation israélienne a mené 160 raids dans la bande de Gaza contre le Hamas, a indiqué le porte-parole de l'armée.

Il y a eu 160 raids durant la nuit ce qui a porté à 430 le nombre d'attaques aériennes depuis le début de l'opération +bordure de protection+, a indiqué le porte-parole, le général Moti Almoz, à la radio militaire en précisant que 120 sites de lancement de roquettes, 10 postes de commandement du Hamas et de nombreux tunnels avaient été visés.

Parmi les autres cibles attaquées figurent deux maisons de chefs militaires du Hamas ainsi que des bureaux du ministère de l'Intérieur, du service de sécurité nationale du Hamas, a ajouté le général.

L'opération que nous avons lancée va s'étendre dans les prochains jours, a poursuivi le porte-parole en refusant de donner des précisions sur des plans d'une opération terrestre de grande envergure dans la bande de Gaza.

Interrogée par l'AFP, une autre porte-parole de l'armée a précisé à l'AFP que quatre roquettes avaient été tirées mercredi à l'aube vers le sud d'Israël sans faire ni victime ni dégât.

Mardi, le Hamas avait revendiqué des tirs de roquettes contre Jérusalem et Tel-Aviv, en réaction à l'offensive israélienne. Depuis le début de l'opération contre le mouvement islamiste 28 Palestiniens ont été tués.

Mar 8, 2014 ASDNews Source : Missile Defense Agency (MDA)

The United States and the State of Israel concluded an agreement on March 5 to continue support of the production of the Iron Dome weapon system.

The Iron Dome system is capable of intercepting and destroying short-range rockets, and mortar and artillery shells, and is an invaluable component of Israeli missile defense. During Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012, Iron Dome was credited with saving countless Israeli lives, and was called a "game-changer" by many Israeli policy-makers. Yesterday's agreement ensures continued U.S. funding for procurement of Iron Dome systems and interceptors, and provides for significant co-production opportunities for U.S. industry. Under the terms of the agreement, $429 million will be transferred immediately to Israel to support Iron Dome procurement.

The agreement represents strategic value for both nations. Israel will obtain valuable resources to contribute to its defense and U.S. industry will receive meaningful co-production opportunities for Iron Dome components.

September 9th, 2013 defencetalk.com (AFP)

Israel deployed its Iron Dome missile defence system near Jerusalem Sunday, an AFP correspondent said, as the United States lobbied for domestic and international support for military strikes against Syria.

The correspondent said the battery was set up west of the city.

A military spokeswoman would not comment on the deployment, saying only that “defence systems are deployed in accordance with situation assessments.”

Late last month a battery of the mobile system was set up in the greater Tel Aviv area, pointing northwards towards Syria. Israeli media have reported that six or seven such batteries are currently in use.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Israel “an island of tranquillity, quiet and security” amidst “the storm raging around us”, without explicitly mentioning Syria or its ally Iran.

In previous weeks Netanyahu has repeatedly said Israel was not involved in the war in Syria, but would “respond with force” if anyone attacked it.

The Israeli line on Syria was reiterated in remarks by Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon later Sunday.

“We are not involved in the civil war in Syria unless our interests are compromised,” he said at a counter-terrorism conference in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv.

“We are preparing for the ramification of action — or inaction — in Syria,” he continued.

“To our understanding, our neighbours, especially the Syrian regime, understands that whoever challenges us will encounter the power of the IDF (Israeli military), and we are preparing for that.”

Yaalon noted that “we held a security assessment today”, and the bottom line was that Israel was not reverting to a heightened level of alert in the wake of the developments in and regarding Syria.

There are fears that if the United States and its allies attack Syria, forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad or its Lebanese Hezbollah proxies could retaliate against neighbouring Israel, Washington’s key ally in the region.

Late last month, Iran’s army chief of staff General Hassan Firouzabadi warned: “Any military action against Syria will drive the Zionists to the edge of fire.”

US President Barack Obama’s administration is seeking to shore up support both at home and abroad for limited military strikes against Syria in retaliation for what it says is the regime’s use of chemical weapons in a Damascus suburb.

In Washington, Congress is due to begin full debate this week on whether to approve Obama’s plans when it returns from its summer break on Monday.

Sources said the Indian Army is reconsidering the purchase of the Israeli Iron Dome air defense system — similar to this battery positioned near Haifa, Israel — because Israel may transfer technology for the project.

Jul. 10, 2013 - By VIVEK RAGHUVANSHI  - Defense News

NEW DELHI — After failing to buy sound ranging systems (SRS) from the global market, India’s Defence Ministry will send a fresh tender next month to domestic companies only.

The indigenous firms include state-owned Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India (ECIL), which in turn will tie up with overseas companies to supply 34 of the systems at a cost of more than US $120 million, said Defence Ministry sources.

The first tender was canceled in 2008 because none of the bidders could meet requirements.

The Army would use the acoustic capabilities of the SRSs to locate enemy artillery to supplement the US-made AN/TPQ-37 weapon-locating radars bought in 2001. But maintenance on these radars has become costly because of a lack of spare parts, said Army sources.

The Army wants the SRS to be able to locate mortars at a distance of 10 kilometers, 105mm artillery at a distance of 15 kilometers and 130mm artillery at a distance of 20 kilometers. Under normal weather conditions, the system should be able to locate 60 percent of enemy artillery, said an Army official.

The SRS locates enemy weapons by the sound of their gunfire. It is designed for plains and desert terrain. The sound signals are then directed to surveillance and target acquisition units to direct return fire, explained the Army official.

The tender to be sent to BEL and ECIL stipulates that the SRS should be compact, man-portable, able to be rapidly deployed and function under rugged conditions.

The tender will specify that the SRS should be computer controlled, based on advanced microprocessors and able to be loaded with digital map data in field conditions.

Iron Dome

In addition to using sound ranging and weapon-locating radars, the Indian Army is reconsidering the purchase of the Israeli Iron Dome air defense system, said Defence Ministry sources. The revisit on Iron Dome was prompted by the possibility that Israel would transfer technology for the project, said a source.

In February, Indian Air Force Chief Air Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne told reporters at the Aero India air show in Bangalore that the Iron Dome is not suitable for the service.

India and Israel have been discussing the purchase of Iron Dome and the David’s Sling air defense system for more than two years.

David’s Sling is jointly produced by Raytheon of the US and Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems; Iron Dome is manufactured by Rafael.

The Indian Army official said Iron Dome can detect and engage the Nasr, Pakistan’s tactical nuclear missile with a range of 60 kilometers.

TEL AVIV, Israel, June 28 (UPI)

As the Middle East descends deeper into conflict, Israel's military is set to deploy its sixth Iron Dome counter-rocket battery, produced by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, and is preparing to take delivery of the first unit of David's Sling, another Rafael anti-missile system.

The new Iron Dome battery, intended to shoot down short-range missiles like the Soviet-designed Grads used by Lebanon's Hezbollah and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, has been upgraded and its range extended. That means the system, the only combat-tested weapon in the multilayered anti-missile shield Israel is building, can intercept hostile rockets earlier in their trajectory and minimize damage and casualties.

Iron Dome, heavily funded by the United States, became operational in early 2011.

The fifth and sixth batteries received by the air force, which has control of all air defenses, are improved versions of a system that currently has a kill rate of around 85 percent of those rockets it engages. The sixth battery is expected to be deployed within two months, and could be delivered as early as July.

The Jerusalem Post reported that two further batteries could be deployed by January 2014.

Military planners have said they need 20 Iron Dome batteries to cover all of Israel, although the new-model systems, which can cover wider areas than the earlier variants and intercept multiple targets coming from different directions, may mean that fewer batteries will be required.

Israel's Defense Ministry, hit by budgetary cuts, has had to turn to Washington for funds to buy the batteries, which cost more than $50 million apiece.

The Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency included $220 million in its annual budget in March for Israel to buy more Iron Dome batteries in fiscal 2014. That was the first time the MDA had specifically sought funds for Iron Dome, underlining the U.S. Defense Department's commitment to maintain military aid for Israel, outside the $3.1 billion it gets every year, despite major cuts in U.S. defense spending.

The U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee approved a $284 million funding increase June 6 for Israel's anti-missile shield, including an additional $15 million for the Iron Dome program.

The United States provided $205 million in 2011 for the Israeli air force to buy the first four Iron Dome batteries.

Iron Dome is the bottom tier of the four-level anti-missile shield the Israelis call "Homa," the wall, which will protect the tiny Mediterranean state against the short-range Grads, the longer range Iranian-built Zelzals and Fateh-110s possess by Hezbollah and Iran's strategic Shehab-3 intermediate–range ballistic missiles -- with more advanced Sejjil-2 weapons in the pipeline -- and Syria's Scud-D weapons.

David's Sling, being developed by Rafael and the Raytheon Co. of the United States, was unveiled at the Paris Air Show this month. Until then, all that Israelis been seen of it was a brief video of a secret test in the Negev Desert of southern Israel in November 2012.

Also known as Magic Wand, David's Sling is designed to intercept medium-range missiles at a range of 100 miles.

It's the next layer in the shield above Iron Dome and underwent its first test-flight in February. It's scheduled to become operational in 2014. Each missile costs $1 million.

After that comes Arrow-2, developed by state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries. The $1 billion program was heavily financed by the Americans. Two Arrow-2 batteries are known to have been deployed to intercept ballistic missiles at high altitude and long range.

A more advanced variant, Arrow-3, is currently being developed by IAI and the Boeing Co. of the United States. It will be more powerful, capable of intercepting missiles at altitudes of 70 miles or more outside Earth's atmosphere earlier in their trajectories than Arrow-2.

The primary function of the road-mobile David's Sling system in Israel's current threat environment is to counter the medium-range missiles like the Fateh-100s that Hezbollah now has in considerable numbers north of Israel and which can reach pretty much anywhere inside the Jewish state, including all its cities and major towns.

David's Sling will be able to backstop the two Arrow variants against ballistic and cruise missiles that get past them. It can cover all of Israel from a small number of launch sites around the country.

Apr 23, 2013 Spacewar.com  (UPI)

Tel Aviv, Israel - The Pentagon has stepped up efforts to fund Israel's anti-missile shield with the Missile Defense Agency requesting $220 million in fiscal 2014 for Israel's air force to buy more Iron Dome batteries.

It's the first time the MDA has specifically sought funds for Iron Dome, developed and built by Haifa's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, in its annual budget process.

That underlines the U.S. Defense Department's effort to maintain military aid for Israel despite major cutbacks in defense spending.

The agency is also expected to seek another $520 million to fund other Israeli anti-missile systems, including the David's Sling and the high-altitude Arrow 3, which is under development.

"The money, if approved, would be on top of the $486 million the White House and Congress have requested or added for Iron Dome in recent years after formal budgets were submitted," The Jerusalem Post reported.

The House of Representatives and the Senate indicated in 2012 "they wanted to approve spending as much as $680 million for Iron Dome through 2015."

Iron Dome, designed to shoot down short-range missiles and rockets and recently upgraded to counter longer-range weapons as well, became operational in early 2012. But the Israeli air force, which has responsibility for air defense, has only acquired five batteries, several of those with direct U.S. funding on top of the annual $3.1 billion in U.S. military aid Israel receives.

That allowed Israel to deploy all five batteries during an eight-day November clash with Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.

By official count, Iron Dome successfully intercepted 84.6 percent of the rockets it engaged, including several that for the first time targeted Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Iron Dome's Tamir interceptors engage only those projectiles its computer calculates will hit populated areas and ignores the rest.

Several missile scientists and others have questioned the system's kill rate, with one saying it was closer to 5-10 percent of rockets engaged than the government's assessment of 84.6 percent.

The government rejected the criticisms and is moving ahead with creating a multilayered defense shield against a sustained bombardment it fears by Iran, Lebanon's Hezbollah on Israel's northern border and Palestinian militants in the south.

David's Sling, being developed by Rafael and the Raytheon Co. of the United States, is designed to counter medium-range missiles.

Arrow 3, being developed by state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries and the Boeing Co., is intended to intercept Iranian and Syrian ballistic missiles outside Earth's atmosphere. In its first flight test a few weeks ago Arrow 3 achieved an altitude of 70 miles and intercepted a simulated missile threat.

The Arrow 2 variant currently in service will backstop at lower altitudes against ballistic attacks.

The fiscal 2014 request by the MDA includes funding for further Arrow 3 testing and a second interception flight before preparations begin for initial production.

There is separate funding for an Arrow "Weapons Systems Improvement" program that integrates data links between Israeli missile forces and U.S. weapons systems in the Middle East, reinforcing protection for the Jewish state.

MDA's funding efforts underline that the U.S. administration is seeking to ensure that U.S. military aid to Israel won't be affected by the so-called sequestration of U.S. defense spending.

The Congressional Research Service figures show that U.S. aid to Israel has increased since 1949 by an average of 28 percent a year, leaping 11.4 percent from 2010-13.

The Israel lobby in Washington is pressing for exempting Israel from automatic spending cuts being introduced in virtually all other U.S. government programs.

The commitment of U.S. President Barack Obama's administration to maintaining aid flow to Israel was also underlined by the Pentagon announcement last week that Israel, along with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, will be receiving advanced weapons systems worth $10 billion over the next few years.

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel stressed during his visit to Israel this week that military aid won't be cut.

Antiwar.com, a U.S. website that's highly critical of the levels of U.S. military aid to Israel, recently cited a report on Israeli government expenditures that showed the Jewish state spends "a hugely disproportionate amount on its military, with roughly one-fifth of the overall national budget going straight into military spending."

3/2/2013 IsraelDefense

Israeli Rafael to present a variety of air defense systems it is developing at the AeroIndia 2013 exhibition

The Israeli defense company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems will present a wide range of capabilities and technologies at the AeroIndia 2013 exhibition, which will begin this week in India. In the framework of the expo, the company will present numerous air defense systems for the first time, including the Iron Dome system for countering short-range missiles and rockets.

Other items that will be presented at the exhibition are the Stunner missile, the David’s Sling interceptor system for protecting against medium-range missiles and rockets, the Spyder air defense system based on the Python-5 and Derby surface-to-air missiles and the MIC4AD, a command and control air and missile defense systems. In the field of precision armaments, Rafael will present the Spice system – an advanced precision system that provides advanced capabilities to ordinary bombs, and the Spike family of electro-optic multi-purpose missiles for ranges of up to 25 kilometers, which can be launched from a variety of platforms.

Rafael will also display the RecceLite pod, an electro-optic system for real-time observation and intelligence collection; the Lightening electro-optic attack and navigation pod for combat aircraft; the multi-sensory ImiLite system for reception, processing and distribution of intelligence information originating from many intelligence platforms, communication systems and more.

Nov. 17, 2012 - By BARBARA OPALL-ROME  Defense News

Simulations Meet Reality Amid Cross-Border Escalations

TEL AVIV — The largest Israel-U.S. air defense drill concluded last week under combat conditions as simulations and preplanned live fire were conducted amid actual rocket salvos from Gaza and escalation along Israel’s long-dormant border with Syria.

Multifront engagement scenarios designed for the thousands of U.S. and Israeli forces participating in Austere Challenge 2012 grew exceedingly realistic in the closing days of the biennial drill, as operators and joint task force commanders from U.S. European Command (EUCOM) witnessed at least four operational intercepts by the Israeli Iron Dome.

By the time the drill culminated Nov. 12 with live fire from U.S. Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (Pac-3) missiles, more than 120 rockets — including extended-range Grads — had been fired at the Israeli homefront, forcing hundreds of thousands of residents within 40 kilometers of the border into shelters. On Nov. 14, a day after the drill officially concluded, the Israeli military launched “Operation Pillar of Defense,” a widespread aerial campaign aimed at reducing the rocket and missile threat from Gaza.

In parallel, Israeli forces last week fired their first shots into Syria since the 1973 war in response to stray shells from the ongoing Syrian civil war that landed in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.

Israeli military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yoav Mordechai said the two separate engagements with Syria — warning shots Nov. 11 and a direct hit on a Syrian artillery launcher Nov. 12 — offered a clear message to Syrian President Bashar Assad that Israel would not tolerate spillover from internal Syrian clashes into Israeli territory.

At week’s end, as most of the 1,000 or so U.S. military personnel stationed in Israel for the drill were making their way back to Germany, Israel’s Northern Command remained on high alert for threats from Syria. Down south, Iron Dome batteries were activated against the rocket threat while the Israel Air Force intensified airstrikes against weapon storage sites, smuggling tunnels and other targets throughout the Hamas-administered Gaza Strip.

“These are very difficult days [which require] further bilateral cooperation in defense against future missile threats, as well as persistent operations against Hamas and the Iranian terror threat in Gaza, which is likely to intensify and expand,” Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told reporters.

Barak hailed the Austere Challenge drill for underscoring the deep cooperation between the two militaries and for bolstering Israeli deterrence.

In a press call before the drill, U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Craig Franklin, commander of the Third Air Force and regional air defense commander for EUCOM, said the $30 million drill, known as AC12, marked the largest in the history of U.S.-Israeli strategic cooperation. It involved Pac-3 batteries, an Aegis cruiser, the U.S.-operated AN/TPY-2 X-band radar deployed here and advanced communications links enabling simulated joint task force operations.

Overall, more than 3,500 U.S. military personnel, from multiple locations across Europe and the Mediterranean and in Israel, took part in the drill, which involved a logistics-centric deployment phase, extensive simulated joint task force operations against salvos on multiple fronts and Patriot live fire against simulated targets.

The Israeli contribution was estimated at 30 million shekels ($76.4 million). It involved nearly 2,000 personnel and all layers of Israel’s planned multitiered active defense intercepting network, including the Arrow, Iron Dome, Patriot and Pac-2, used against air-breathing targets, and command-and-control elements of the developmental David’s Sling.

Franklin insisted the scenarios simulating salvo attacks on multiple fronts were notional and “not related to any particular recent world event.”

Nevertheless, representatives from both countries said last week’s barrage of Gaza-launched rockets, combined with fire across the Syrian border, injected real-life urgency to simulated joint operations.

“AC12 took place in a realistic threat environment, to say the least. Many of us will remember it as the nexus between simulation and actual combat,” an Israel Air Force officer said.

In the coming weeks, U.S. and Israeli officers will conduct post-drill evaluations and apply key lessons to the planning of the next major bilateral drill, scheduled for 2014.

Israel Air Force Brig. Gen. Doron Gavish, recently retired air defense commander, said the drill and ongoing exercises between drills were strategically significant in honing the ability of both countries to operate jointly against evolving threats.

“We’re not waiting for every other year to exercise together. Today we have a standing relationship with all the commanders, and we conduct a lot of small-scale training on a regular basis,” Gavish said.

photo Israel Sun/Rex Features

TEL AVIV, Israel, Dec. 2 (UPI)

The U.S. Army will decide in the next few weeks whether it will buy Israel's Iron Dome anti-rocket defense system, developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, to protect bases in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Rafael and the U.S. Raytheon Co., which produces the Patriot air-defense system, teamed in August to market Iron Dome, currently used to defend against Palestinian rockets, in the United States.

Iron Dome is designed to counter rockets and artillery shells with a range of 2-43 miles. It's the first system of its type to be used in combat.

Yossi Druker, head of Rafael's Air-to-Air Directorate, said Wednesday that the winner of the tender issued by the Pentagon is expected to be announced in January.

"Iron Dome is said to be compatible with the U.S. Army's Counter-Rocket and Artillery and Mortar system, or C-RAM, as part of layered defense for military bases," The Jerusalem Post observed.

Iron Dome made its combat debut in April in southern Israel against Palestinian rockets and the military says it has notched a success rate of 85 percent against Palestinian rockets it sought to intercept.

The system's computer can distinguish which rockets will hit populated areas and those that won't. It only fires on those that endanger Israeli lives.

The Israeli air force, which is responsible for air defense, has three Iron Dome batteries operational, primarily in the south to counter short-range rockets fired by militants from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

But the military acknowledges that it needs 15-20 Iron Dome batteries to effectively provide protection from short-range missiles and rockets along the northern border with Lebanon and the southern frontier with Gaza.

So the Israelis may find themselves on the horns of a dilemma if the Americans decide they want Iron Dome: Who will get priority, homeland defense or developing a potentially lucrative export market for this unique system, the first operational short-range air-defense system in the world?

The Israelis say they face missile threats on several fronts, from Syria, Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas and its allies in Gaza.

These threats range from intermediate-range ballistic missiles from Iran and Syria, with shorter-range weapons from Hezbollah and the Palestinians.

The nightmare scenario is that if a new conflict erupts in the Middle East, every inch of the Jewish state will be exposed to a sustained and unprecedented bombardment by these foes.

Military planners say this could last for weeks, with up to 200 missiles and rockets a day hammering Israel, including the massive urban conurbation around Tel Aviv in the center of the country.

Every Iron Dome battery will be needed but Israel's defense industry, like those in the United States and Europe, is increasingly dependent on export sales to keep production lines rolling amid global cutbacks in defense spending.

Singapore has reportedly bought Iron Dome, although no details are available and the Israeli Defense Ministry hasn't confirmed the sale. India and South Korea have also shown interest.

The air force expects to take delivery of David's Sling, another anti-missile system developed by Rafael, within the next year, Brig. Gen. Doron Gavish, commander of the air force's Air Defense Division, said Thursday.

This system, also known as Magic Wand, is designed as the middle-tier of Israel's planned multilayer missile defense shield. It's designed to counter missiles and rockets with ranges of 25-185 miles.

Meantime, The Jerusalem Post reports that state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries is building a third battery of the Arrow-2 high-altitude, long-range missile interceptor to be deployed near Tel Aviv.

The Israeli air force has two Arrow batteries deployed in southern and northern Israel. The system is designed to counter Iran's Shehab-3b, Sejjil-2 and Soviet-designed Scud ballistic missiles. Syria also has Scuds.

Central Israel was chosen for the site of the new battery "because it provides the best protection for long-range threats which Israel faces from a number of directions," a military spokesman said.

IAI and Boeing in the United States are developing the Arrow-3, which will extend the range and altitude of the missile, which allows it to intercept ballistic missiles earlier in their trajectory and further from Israel.

The Arrow-3's first fly-out test is scheduled within the next few months. The United States contributed the bulk of the funds to develop the Arrow system.