Enes Canli and Tayyib Hosbas
18 April 2024•Update: 18 April 2024
SDEROT, Israel
A team from Anadolu filmed a battery of Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system near the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli army displayed the defense system, which was recently used to block Iran’s mass drone and missile attack on Israeli territory, during a press tour organized for journalists.
The system was deployed around Sderot, the closest Israeli city to Gaza.
Brig. Gen. (res.) Doron Gavish, the former commander of Israel’s aerial defense force, told reporters that most of the munitions fired from Iran in its drone, ballistic missile and cruise missile attacks were intercepted outside Israeli airspace.
Gavish underscored that several countries, especially the US, are acting together in Israel's defense against munitions fired from Iran and that the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) is fully cooperating with Israel in preventing these attacks.
Air and missile defense systems such as Iron Dome, David's Sling and Arrow-3, which have recently become prominent in Israel's defense industry exports, were co-produced with the US.
Israel needs to obtain US approval when exporting these systems.
The first tests of the Iron Dome, which was developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, were conducted in July 2008 and the last test in July 2010.
The system was delivered in March 2011 and became operational on April 7, 2011, when a Grad missile from Gaza was intercepted.
The Iron Dome air defense system is known for its interception mechanism against rockets, missiles and drones. Its radar detects incoming missiles over distances of 4-70 kilometers ( 2.5-43 miles).
*Writing by Serdar Dincel
