Iron Dome keeps making strides in the US
The US Army has held its second interception test of Iron Dome. (Photo: US Army)
The US Army and the Israeli MoD’s Israeli Missile Defense Organisation (IMDO) have conducted an Iron Dome Defence System-Army (IDDS-A) missile flight test.
This event marks the second interception test since two IDDS-A batteries were supplied to the US at the end of 2020.
In a 3 August statement, Iron Dome manufacturer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems said: ‘US Army soldiers assigned to 3-43 Air Defense Artillery Battalion successfully detected, tracked, and intercepted multiple CM [cruise missile] and UAS surrogate targets.’
The US Army ‘will use the IDDS-A to defend supporter forces within fixed and semi-fixed locations against sub-sonic cruise missiles, groups 2&3 UAS, rockets, artillery and mortar threats,' the statement continued.
In mid-July, the US Marine Corps successfully integrated the Iron Dome ground launcher and Tamir interceptor missile with the Northrop Grumman AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) and the corps' CAC2S battle management system.
Iron Dome has served as the lowest layer of the multi-layered Israeli air and missile defence network since 2011.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
Contract moves new Abrams tank forward in the face of cuts
Several US Army vehicle programmes were axed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s plans to transform the US Army, as outlined in the Letter to the Force: Army Transformation Initiative document. However, the new generation Abrams M1E3 main battle tank (MBT) was singled out for survival. But what will it look like?
-
US Army’s Precision Strike Missile moves into production phase after test successes
Lockheed Martin’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) is a next-generation surface-to-surface missile system and is a planned replanned replacement for MGM-140 Army Tactical Missiles System (ATACMS). It is to be fired from M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers.
-
British Army considers purchasing the NEMO 120mm mortar turret for the Patria 6×6
Babcock is offering the Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) 6×6 for one of the elements of the UK Land Mobility Programme (LMP). It would be a replacement for some of the UK’s existing armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) fleets including the FV432 which is now some 70 years old.
-
Armies turn to armour and self-defence as support vehicles near the frontline
Combat losses of support and logistics vehicles in recent conflicts have highlighted the need for greater protection and even self-defence capabilities. What options are available to turn a basic truck into a survivor on the battlefield?