Iron Dome, deemed operational, was to have begun initial deployment this month. The military had been preparing an Iron Dome battery to
intercept missiles and rockets from both the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.
Instead, the ministry ordered the military to keep Iron Dome away from
areas of potential conflict. Officials said the battery, produced by the
state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, would be stored in an Air force
base near Tel Aviv.
"The battery could reach any conflict zone within hours so where it is
located is not a major issue," the official said.
Military officers, however, said Iron Dome has failed to achieve initial
operational capability. They cited difficulties in training soldiers to
operate what was described as a complex system.
"It is, however, sometimes a complicated process to take in such a
system and to turn it operational and into a fully functioning weapons
system," an officer told the Jerusalem Post.
In October, the first Iron Dome was delivered to the Air Force, meant
for deployment at the Hatzor base in southern Israel. The battery consists
of three launchers, each with 20 interceptors, as well as a multi-mission
radar. The radar has been developed by the state-owned Israel Aerospace
Industries.
The Air force has already identified locations for deployment of Iron
Dome along the borders of Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. The military plans to
acquire up to 10 Iron Dome systems, many of them produced in the United
States.
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