Special to WorldTribune.com

TEL AVIV — Israel’s military has been preparing for the deployment
of another battery of the Iron Dome missile and rocket defense system.

The military said a fourth Iron Dome battery would be deployed in April in wake of the missile war with the Gaza Strip. The battery, which could intercept missiles with a range of up to 70 kilometers, would be
located in the Tel Aviv area.

“Iron Dome batteries, which as a result of the escalation have been operating in southern Israel in the past days, are expected to receive another ally,” the military said. “A fourth battery will soon become operational and assist rocket interception efforts.”

On March 26, the Air Force tested an Iron Dome battery around Tel Aviv in what was meant to demonstrate interoperability with other systems. The Air Force is said to have moved the battery to three sites around Tel Aviv to determine the best location for operational deployment.

“The Iron Dome system is in the process of operational absorption, during which a battery will be placed from time to time in different places across the country,” the military said.

Iron Dome, already deployed in Ashdod, Ashkelon and Beersheba, has been operated and maintained by the Israel Air Force. The military said the Air
Force has appointed the first female commander, identified merely as Capt. Revital, of an Iron Dome battery.

“I hoped to receive this role for so long, and I’m very proud of earning
it,” Revital said. “Giving the residents of Israel a feeling of security is
a great honor and an important mission, and that’s the message I want impart
upon the soldiers serving at the battery.”

The Air Force has appointed women as commanders of other air and missile
defense batteries, including the U.S.-origin PAC-2 and Hawk. Revital was
assigned to oversee operations and training of the fourth Iron Dome battery.

Iron Dome has been designed to work together with the next Israeli
missile defense system, David’s Sling. David’s Sling, produced by Rafael and
the U.S. firm Raytheon, was meant to intercept ballistic missiles with a
range of up to 280 kilometers.

Military sources said Hamas and its Palestinian militia allies have
acquired missiles and rockets that could strike the Tel Aviv area. They said
Islamic Jihad fired rockets during the mini-war this month that flew
farther than previous weapons launched from the Gaza Strip.

In all, about 320 rockets were fired into Israel, with Iron Dome
reported to have intercepted around 60. The interception rate was determined
by the military and Defense Ministry as that between 85 and 90 percent.

“If everything goes as planned, within two or three weeks we will have a
fourth and extra battery,” Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on March 13.

“This will enable us to operate in four separate areas. It will strengthen
our capabilities to overcome certain technical failures and allow for the
potential of a wider deployment if necessary.”

  Ashdod, Ashkelon, Beersheba, David’s Sling, Ehud Barak, Gaza Strip, Islamic Jihad, Israel Air Force, Israel to deploy fourth Iron Dome near Tel Aviv