US Army completes latest Iron Dome interception test
'This is the second interception test since the two batteries were supplied to the US Army at the end of 2020'
The United States Army completed the latest Iron Dome Defense System interception test at the White Sands missile range, according to a Tuesday statement.
In conjunction with Israel's Defense Ministry's Israeli Missile Defense Organization (IMDO), the army "took a critical step toward fielding the first of two Iron Dome Defense System-Army (IDDS-a) batteries."
In 2018, the US Army purchased two batteries from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, including 12 launchers and 240 interceptors.
The testing prepares the system for US operational forces' use by ensuring it meets US Army safety standards, according to the statement.
Major General Brian Gibson noted, “It’s important to understand that implementation for the US is about the ability to integrate this system into our air defense picture."
"We need to integrate this into our US architecture and to give confidence to our regional commanders that we can integrate this system safely into what they have.”
IMDO Director in the Israeli Ministry of Defense, Moshe Patel, said, “This is the second interception test since the two batteries were supplied to the US Army at the end of 2020. In this test as well, the system intercepted all the threats, while being interoperable with US systems.”
Other defense layers within the IMDO include the Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 systems that intercept ballistic missiles and David's Sling, which intercepts tactical ballistic missiles.