[Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA:
"The Skyguard today only exists on paper," a defense official explained. "By
the time it is ready, we will already have the Iron Dome deployed around
Gaza."
The officials said that the Iron Dome had recently been updated and was
capable of hitting incoming missiles that were fired at a range of 4.5
kilometers from their target - more than enough to intercept the Kassams,
which are usually fired 6 km. from Sderot.
That's "usually".
That's "usually" now that they are also effective.
Let's put on our thinking caps.
When Iron Dome is in place will they shoot from 4 kilometers so that Iron
Dome cannot intercept the rockets or will they be sports and fire from a 6
kilometer distance?
Let's not forget that Israel won't shoot at a missile team detected setting
up and firing from next to a school or bunch of kids.
Oops.]
Israel to offer Iron Dome system to US
Yaakov Katz , THE JERUSALEM POST Mar. 13, 2008
www.jpost.com
/servlet/Satellite?cid=1205261316940&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Defense Ministry Director-General Pinhas Buchris will travel to the US next
week to try to interest the Pentagon in the Israeli-developed Iron Dome
missile defense system and to explore procuring the Skyguard laser system to
protect Sderot from Kassam rockets, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
The Iron Dome system is under development by the Rafael Armaments Authority
and was chosen last year by a Defense Ministry committee as Israel's defense
system against the short-range Kassam and Katyusha rockets. Israel believes
that the US Army might be interested in the system to protect its forces in
Iraq and Afghanistan.
Buchris will be in the US for several days for talks with Pentagon officials
and will take a day to travel to White Sands, New Mexico, where Northrop
Grumman has stationed the Nautilus system, a precursor of Skyguard. Israel
and the US Army jointly developed Nautilus from 1995 until 2005, when both
countries decided to pull out of the program after concluding that it was
not feasible. Israel had invested more than $400 million in the program.
There is growing criticism by former senior defense officials that the Iron
Dome - which uses a kinetic missile to intercept incoming Kassam rockets -
will not be effective in protecting Sderot due to the short distance and
flight time between the Negev town and the rocket launch pads in Gaza.
On Thursday, the Sapir Academic College, located just outside Sderot, will
host a conference on missile defense at which some speakers are expected to
call on Israel to buy the Skyguard system.
The Skyguard does not currently exist, but would be an upgrade of the
Nautilus. Northrop Grumman has told Israel that with an investment of
$180m., it would be able to turn the heavy, land-based Nautilus system into
a more compact and mobile system that would be ready for shipment within 18
months.
Defense officials have dismissed the proposal, saying that in addition to
the 18 months, it would take another three months to deploy the system
around Sderot and that this timeline would extend into 2010, when the Iron
Dome is slated to become operational. The officials said that in addition to
the initial investment, Israel would need to purchase four more systems -
each at a cost of $70m.
"The Skyguard today only exists on paper," a defense official explained. "By
the time it is ready, we will already have the Iron Dome deployed around
Gaza."
The defense officials also dismissed the claims made by supporters of the
Nautilus - such as laser expert and former Rafael employee Dr. Oded Amihai -
that the Iron Dome was incapable of protecting Sderot due to the short
distance between Gaza and the Negev city.
The officials said that the Iron Dome had recently been updated and was
capable of hitting incoming missiles that were fired at a range of 4.5
kilometers from their target - more than enough to intercept the Kassams,
which are usually fired 6 km. from Sderot.
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