Naval version of Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system successfully tested

Israeli corvettes launch interceptor missiles from new Naval Iron Dome system intended to protect Israeli coast and offshore gas drilling sites.

By World Israel News Staff

The Israeli navy successfully tested its new missile defense system, the Defense Ministry announced Monday.

The Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO), under the Israeli Ministry of Defense’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development, along with the Israeli Navy and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems on Monday completed a series of multi-system and multi-tier tests using the naval version of the Iron Dome system, known as “C-Dome.”

Israel’s Iron Dome system, which uses advanced missile interceptors, has been deployed on land-based sites since 2011 to shield Israeli communities from projectiles launched by terrorists in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and Syria.

The IDF’s new C-Dome, a naval adaptation of the Iron Dome, is slated to be deployed to Israeli vessels guarding the coast and offshore assets, including natural gas drilling platforms.

In the recent tests, C-Dome, installed on the Israeli Navy’s Saar 6 Magen class corvettes for the tests, successfully intercepted advanced targets which were used to represent threats to Israeli infrastructure and strategic assets in its offshore economic zone. Israeli Navy combat personnel operated the systems used in the test as part of the operationalization process of the Magen corvettes.

The series of tests included simulated existing and future threats that the Magen ships may face during conflict, such as rockets, cruise missiles, and drone attacks.

“The current experiment is part of the road map for the development and improvement of the defense capabilities of the defense ships, while providing a response and adaptation to the evolving needs in the arena,” said the Head of Material, Technology and Logistics Command, Rear Admiral Ariel Shir.

“This experiment is further evidence of the development and improvement capabilities of the various systems in the face of threats, and the ability of the defense ship systems to operate in an integrated and complete manner. From the construction of the naval and aerial picture, through the discovery, classification and identification of threats and ending with interception and accurate destruction of the threats.”

The tests integrated shipboard systems with Israel’s multi-tier defense array and tested new technologies to enhance the air and missile defense multi-tier array’s operational effectiveness at sea and on land.

Israel’s Defense Ministry said the success of the tests marks another significant milestone in the array’s development to counter existing and future threats in various combat arenas.

“The C-Dome system constitutes a significant leap forward in our defense capabilities, and ensures the Israeli defense establishment’s superiority and operational capabilities in the face of growing threats in the maritime arena,” said Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

“The system’s naval adaptation is part of our advanced multi-tier air and missile defense system. I would like to express my great appreciation for the Directorate for Defense R&D, the IDF, and Rafael, for turning a tech vision into reality – developing operational capabilities in the field.”

Once deployed, the C-Dome will expand Israel’s defense array, which currently includes operational defense tiers: Iron Dome, David’s Sling, Arrow 2, and Arrow 3.

Development of these systems is being led by DDR&D’s Israel Missile Defense Organization.

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems is the prime contractor and developer of the Iron Dome and works in partnership with subcontractors such as Israel Aerospace Industries’ Elta Systems, which supplies the multi-mission radar, and mPrest, responsible for the command-and-control systems.

The head of the Defense Ministry’s DDR&D, Brig. Gen. (res.) Dr. Daniel Gold touted the new missile tests, saying they “are one of the many efforts we are carrying out to improve our air and missile defense systems’ preparedness for future threats and improve system performance in the face of existing threats.”

“The campaign’s success further strengthens our confidence in the defense systems and their ability to protect extensive areas as well as the State of Israel’s strategic assets on land and at sea. We will continue working together with the IDF and Israeli defense industries to protect the State of Israel, while realizing and preserving the State of Israel’s qualitative advantage.”