Officials said the military's Home Front Command has deployed the system
by Rafael, Israel Armament Development Authority. They said the system was
used during the 2006 war against Hizbullah, when the Iranian-sponsored
militia fired about 4,500 rockets into Israel.
"The system was deployed in the first days of the war upon request from
the Home Front Command," an Israeli military statement said.
The unidentified system was said to merge sensors with command and
control to warn authorities of impending rocket and missile strikes against
Israel. Officials said the system, similar to Red Dawn in the Israeli
southern town of Sderot, provided between 20 and 90 seconds of advanced
warning.
Officials said the system was in the advanced trial stage when the
Lebanon war erupted in July 2006. At that point, the Rafael system became
operational, but failed to warn of numerous rocket strikes, officials said.
The system has been embroiled in controversy in wake of a military
request to Rafael operators not to inform police of impending rocket
attacks. The military said police personnel had been included in a joint C2
headquarters established during the war.
An Israeli military spokesman said Rafael exceeded its authority by
independently informing police of rocket attacks and landings. The spokesman
said the military and police sought to draw lessons from the operations of
the C2 center during the Lebanon war in a major exercise in central Israel
last week.
Military sources said the air force has also employed a missile warning
system for surface-to-air missiles in an attempt to detect
surface-to-surface missile launches. They said the missile warning systems
of F-15 and F-16 combat aircraft could locate virtually any rocket or
missile launch.
"From there, the way to close the circle is short," Lt. Col. Amit, head
of the electronic warfare branch of the air force, said.