Israel: Iron Dome ups its interception rate to over 90%

(JPost) The Israel Air Force’s Iron Dome counter rocket defense system intercepted 27 rockets fired from the Gaza Strip over the weekend, raising the interception rate from 75 percent last year to over 90%.

Israel currently has three Iron Dome batteries in operation – in Ashkelon, Ashdod and Beersheba - and plans to deploy the fourth in the coming months. Its plan is to deploy a total of nine batteries by mid-2013.

The battery in Ashdod intercepted 11 rockets out of 13 fired into the city; the battery in Ashkelon intercepted one rocket and purposely did not intercept four others since they were heading to open fields; and the battery in Beersheba intercepted 15 and allowed two others to land in open fields.

The Iron Dome is designed to defend against rockets at a range of 4-to-70 km., and each battery consists of a multi-mission radar manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries and three launchers, each equipped with 20 interceptors named Tamir.

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