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No, it's the usual anti-Israeli moron Fail. LOL
Because Iron Dome ONLY intercepts those missiles that are on trajectory to hit the most populated centers, down-town, kindergardens.
Moreover, it's a brand new system (first tested in 2011). Unique in its kind, built with Israel's limited resources in record short period of time. By comparison, Russian S-300 system or American Patriot have been in design since 1960's!
Also, to provide ideal coverage Israel needs at least 13 batteries, ideally 20+.
Right now, Israel only has 5 including one used for training of crews (another problem because you got to train people to use it in very short period of time).
That means it's got a lot of kinds have yet to be worked out. In the beginning Iron Dome's interception rate was "only" 75%. Now it's over 90%.
The best part? The 5th battery of Iron Dome is 2.0 version which does something that Iron Dome designers didn't even plan on ---- it intercepts Fajr and Zelzal rockets, which is a big achievement. Because those rockets are more powerful and costly, suddenly 40,000 dollar Tamir interceptor used by Iron Dome sounds like a bargain.
Either way, LASER-based protection is the future, but the joint American-Israeli Nautilus project has not proven viable until 2015-2020 and have their own limitations such as cost of development, dangerous chemicals recquired for the laser to operate and the weather conditions that limit the laser dramatically.
So Israel just cannot wait for laser tech to mature in 2020. It needs protection now. Which is why Iron Dome is so welcome against cheaper Grad rockets & mortar.
Quoting: Anonymous Coward 766206 ah fair enough thank you for the information
You're welcome.
There is SO much ignorance, propaganda, clever disinformantion financed by Muslim-Marxist elites, so much lies and libel all over the world when it comes to Israel/Jews... it's breath-taking.
Iron Dome is just another small example of that. So I try to correct some of the basic ones.
Iron Dome is a unique system, it's very young, very sophisticated, but it was never designed to replace the OFFENSIVE capabilities or doctrine. It's definately a 2-edged sword for Israel because of false sense of security and political restrains associated with ID.
In fact, one of the reason Obama is helping finance it is because if it weren't for Iron Dome, there would already be several mini-Castlead operations in 2011-2012 because of never-ceasing rocket salvos by Gaza terrorists, including no less than 5 escalations from April 2011 to Fall of 2012.
Which would have risked igniting a war with Hezbollah maybe even Syria, Iran. Which would have also pissed off Obama's new friend Mohammed Morsi in Egypt.
Which in addition to forcing Obama to come to Israel's defense militarily, would have further tanked the US and world economy.
Which, in turn, would have caused Obama to LOSE re-election bid. I mean, he almost lost anyway -- and really, it took massive George Soros voting fraud for him to win swing states.
So that's why Iron Dome has been in the news so much both in US and Israeli Left (Ehud Barak is Defense Minister under Netanyahu, but he's an old Leftie at heart, trust me)
I admire the restraint shown by Israel and the effort to bring about an alternative to force - however I feel time may be running abit to far forward for systems like the Iron dome to have a influential impact on the conflict
Israel literally is in an IMPOSSIBLE situation here. While this phrase is often overused and misapplied to other nations, Israel literally is facing the options of BAD and BADDER. LOL.
Israel's enemies make no bones about it: they will try to destroy Israel any way they can. The quick way failed during the massacres in 1920s, and 1930s, during Mandate British discriminatory immigration policies at the urging of Arabs or I should say their oil.... of course during the wars of Annihilation in 1948, 1956, 1967, 1968-70 and 1973.
So their plan B is basically to do it SLOWLY-- through terror, through diplomacy, through law-fare and economic attrition. Israel is tiny and has been historically poor, with no natural resources (until 2009 discoveries anyway). So that's how its enemies want to strangle it.
That, too, hasn't worked yet. Israel recovered from 2nd Lebanon War (cost: 5 billion dollars,)
But Israel is cognizant of the fact that if it makes even ONE major miscalculation in military matters -- it will be sanctioned to death, even if it does survive a WMD attack by Hezbollah, Syria, Egypt or Iran.
Even it's "allies" like the US, are looking for any and all excuse to dump Israel as an ally. So Israel has no choice but show unbelievable restraint.
LOL, what would happen if tommorrow Hong Kong, Taiwan or Tibet get tired of being pushed around by China and start rocketing Beijing and Shangai? Or, if Poland or Ukraine suddenly decide that Russia is stilly "occupying" their historical homeland --- and start lobbing missiles at Mosow and St. Petersburg?
LOL, China and Russia would use tactical nukes by now -- as per their military doctrine, by the way.
Israel? It's been under unrelenting attacks since the Oslo Accords. And not only has it been restrained by the "world community", but as thanks for its super-human restraint, Israel has been... demonized and villified at every turn.
Such is life, I guess. So now Bibi and Benny (Ganz) have to figure out which BAD option they want to employ.
