The United States is set to send its two Iron Dome units to Israel.
A Defense Department official told Defense News that the move is another sign of the U.S.’s unwavering support of Israel. The U.S. primarily relies on other missile defense systems, such as the Patriot. The two Iron Dome systems being sent to Israel are the only two in the U.S.’s possession. The move indicates the increasing stress that rocket attacks from Hamas are inflicting on Israel’s missile defense network and possible anxiety over the possible intervention of Hezbollah.
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“As we’ve said previously, the U.S. will be flowing additional Iron Dome support to Israel,” the official told the outlet. “As a result, the Department of Defense is currently engaged in planning to support the provision of U.S. Iron Dome batteries to Israel.”
The official did not specify whether any conditions were attached to the transfer or whether the batteries will be returned to the U.S. afterward if they survive combat.
The two batteries were bought years ago by Congress to plug the gap in cruise missile defense. However, they have never been used in combat. After a deployment to Guam, they have sat unused in Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state.
Israel hasn’t disclosed its current number of Iron Dome systems, but as of 2021, it possessed 10 batteries, according to Raytheon. Each battery consists of a radar, a command-and-control system, and interceptor launchers, with the ability to cover 60 square miles. Each battery has three or four launchers and 20 missiles.
The Iron Dome is the most famous of Israel’s three-pronged missile defense network, which includes David’s Sling and the Arrow. Despite boasts of having a higher success rate than any other system, like any other, it can be overwhelmed by a massive barrage.
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So far, Hamas has fired over 7,000 rockets at Israel, much more than the previous wars in Gaza. The possible entry of Hezbollah carries the possibility of completely overwhelming the already-stretched missile defense network.
The group boasts an arsenal of over 150,000 missiles and would be likely to blend lower quality missiles with advanced precision-guided munition missiles, which would overwhelm the country’s defenses, according to Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.
