Iron Dome, the U.S. Army Missile and Rocket Destroyer, Proves Its Power in Live Fire Test

It takes a long time for any kind of vehicle (whether it be a land, air, or water vehicle) or defense system that’s meant for the military, to reach the final stage of testing, and officially begin operating. This was the case for the Iron Dome, a missile defense system that was tested by the U.S. Army for the first time a couple of months ago.

It was back in 2019 when the U.S. and Israel signed a purchase agreement for two Iron Dome Defense Systems (IDDS) batteries. Since 2020, when they were delivered to the U.S., they have been going through a complex series of tests and operator trainings. Finally, Rafael announced that the first U.S. IDDS-A battery conducted a live fire test – a culmination of the previous tests and that it was a success.

The demonstration was carried out at the White Sands New Mexico (WSMR) test range, where U.S. soldiers engaged and neutralized live targets using the Iron Dome, for the first time. Elta and mPrest, which were also part of the Iron Dome development process, attended the event as well. Elta, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), equipped the system with a multi-mission radar (MMR), while mPrest was responsible for developing the command and control system (BMC).

The IDDS-A is meant to become an essential asset for missile defense, as an advanced system that can intercept a multitude of threats, including cruise missiles, helicopters, drones, rockets, and artillery shells. It can effectively counter these threats even at a very short range, both day and night, in any kind of weather conditions, with an over 90% success rate.

The Iron Dome has already proven its power in combat missions, with more than 2,000 interceptions so far, and it will now show what it can do within the U.S. Army, as well.