Iron Dome, developed by Israel's Rafael, will compete against other short-range rocket defense systems in a trial this month.
The US Army may to buy Israel's "Iron Dome" system for defense against short-range rockets at its military bases in Europe, according to a report in "Defense News". The Americans will test the system this month at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, together with competing systems. The US Army has not yet set a timetable for procurement of the system that is selected in the trial. According to "Defense News" the US Army sees an urgent need to plug a gap in its defenses in Europe until a permanent solution to the problem is developed.
Iron Dome, which was developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., will face competition from systems such as the vehicle-mounted "Stryker" system, developed jointly by Boeing and General Dynamics. All the systems being tested are capable of being deployed within a short time.
The US gave generous financial aid for the development and production of Iron Dome. Rafael teamed with US company Raytheon to produce the systems, and more than 50% of the components of the "Tamir" interception missile that the system uses are made in the US. If Iron Dome is selected by the US military, the system will become entirely American, with Raytheon as the main contractor and Rafael as a sub-contractor.
Rafael did not comment on the report. Since Iron Dome entered service in 2011, it has succeeded in destroying more than 1,500 rockets fired against Israel from the Gaza Strip.