The Israeli Air Force has reestablished the 139th Air Defense Battalion, which will now operate the short-range Iron Dome system, the military says.
In 2022, the 139th Battalion, which had operated the Patriot system (and before it the Hawk), was shuttered after some 53 years, as the IAF moved to mothball the American-made system.
Yesterday, a ceremony was held to reestablish the unit as an Iron Dome battalion.
The military says that as part of lessons learned amid the war, the IAF decided to open additional Iron Dome batteries. In recent weeks it has also moved to close the last remaining Patriot batteries for good.
The Iron Dome is the lowest layer of Israel’s multi-tiered air defense system, and it has downed tens of thousands of rockets, mortars, and drones launched at Israel since 2011.
The 139th Battalion is now Israel’s third Iron Dome battalion, after the 137th and 947th. Israel’s Navy also has a version of the Iron Dome aboard its four Sa’ar-6 class corvettes.
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From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, May 21, 2024
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