From the Liveblog of
Friday, July 11, 2014
Analysts question efficacy of Iron Dome
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleMIT Technology Review quotes experts who worry that Iron Dome is not destroying the warheads of the rockets it intercepts.
“Even though Israel’s US-funded ‘Iron Dome’ rocket-defense interceptors appear to be hitting Hamas rockets in recent days, they are almost certainly failing in the crucial job of detonating those rockets’ shrapnel-packed explosive warheads, expert analysts say. As a result, rockets fired from Gaza are probably plunging to the ground with intact explosives. The fact that they aren’t causing injuries or deaths in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and other cities is mainly a matter of luck, the analysts add.”
For their part, security officials note that Iron Dome only targets rockets fired at population centers, with the interception intended primarily to throw the rocket off-course, not to obliterate them. Israelis are advised not to approach fallen rockets, as they may still explode.
The Times of Israel Community.