Israel deploys third Iron Dome anti-missile battery in south

Israel deploys third Iron Dome anti-missile battery in south

2011-09-01 05:03:17 GMT+7 (ICT)

JERUSALEM (BNO NEWS) -- The Israeli military on Wednesday deployed a third Iron Dome battery near the southern port city of Ashdod, completing the operation sooner than planned, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak thanked the security personnel for stationing the third operational Iron Dome battery prior to the start of the new school year. "This is part of the national emergency plan I declared several weeks ago and a tangible method to defend Israeli civilians from rockets and missiles," he said.

According to Barak, stationing batteries will "revamp the security of Israeli residents who are still in need of shelters." Earlier this week, he said that nine Iron Dome batteries will be operational within the next two years. Two other batteries are already stationed near the cities of Ashkelon and Be'er Sehva.

Earlier this year, in March, Israel deployed its first Iron Dome missile defense system in light of the recent rocket attacks in southern Israel. The Iron Dome system uses sophisticated radar, manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries, to track incoming missiles, intercept and destroy them before they reach their targets. It also includes Tamir missile interceptors.

Despite the effectiveness of the system, local analysts have complained because each Iron Dome interception costs from $10,000 to $50,000, in contrast with the costs of Palestinian rockets as low as $500.

In the winter of 2008-2009, Israel launched a surprise airstrike against the Gaza Strip which marked the beginning of a three-week military conflict between Israel and Hamas, killing nearly 1,500 people and leaving thousands more injured and displaced. Israel stated its aim was to stop rocket fire from and arms import into Gaza.

In 2010, the Israeli Security Agency reported a total of 150 rocket launches from the Gaza Strip towards Israel. It represented a significant drop from 569 launches in 2009, although 407 of them were launched during Operation Cast Lead.

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