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US Army Conducts Tests of Israel’s Iron Dome Air Defense Systems

An Iron Dome missile defense battery being loaded onto a ship for delivery to the United States in January 2021. (Defense Ministry)
An Iron Dome missile defense battery being loaded onto a ship for delivery to the United States in January 2021. (Defense Ministry)
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US Army Conducts Tests of Israel’s Iron Dome Air Defense Systems

An Iron Dome missile defense battery being loaded onto a ship for delivery to the United States in January 2021. (Defense Ministry)
An Iron Dome missile defense battery being loaded onto a ship for delivery to the United States in January 2021. (Defense Ministry)

The US Army successfully conducted a live-fire test of the first Iron Dome air defense systems, which Washington acquired from Tel Aviv, the Israeli Defense Ministry announced Tuesday.

“The Iron Dome Defense System-Army (IDDS-A) battery was tested at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico,” the ministry said, adding that the test was assisted by defense contractors Iron Dome developers Rafael, IAI Elta and mPrest.

The ministry said the US has been working to integrate the system into its air defense array and has upgraded and improved the Iron Dome batteries to allow it to also shoot down mortar shells, unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles.

Iron Dome is an Israeli mobile missile defense system designed to intercept short-range rockets and artillery.

In 2019, Israel signed an agreement with Washington to sell two Iron Dome batteries to the United States and it shipped the first two defense systems to the US Army in 2020.

Under the 2019 agreement between Tel Aviv and Washington, the US military bought Israel's battle-proven Iron Dome that destroys rockets on condition that Israel starts testing a US laser missile interceptor system.

Israeli experts then joined their colleagues at the US Lockheed Martin company to develop a ground-based laser weapon for Israel.

This method of airborne interception using laser has many advantages, including a low cost per interception compared to the Israeli Iron Dome interceptors, which costs $50,000 each.

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China, Russia Militaries Conduct Joint Air Patrol over Sea of Japan

Flags of China and Russia are displayed in this illustration picture taken March 24, 2022. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo
Flags of China and Russia are displayed in this illustration picture taken March 24, 2022. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo
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China, Russia Militaries Conduct Joint Air Patrol over Sea of Japan

Flags of China and Russia are displayed in this illustration picture taken March 24, 2022. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo
Flags of China and Russia are displayed in this illustration picture taken March 24, 2022. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo

Chinese and Russian militaries have organized and carried out the ninth joint strategic air patrol in "relevant airspace" over the Sea of Japan on Friday, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said.
The air patrol was part of an annual cooperation plan between the countries since 2019, Reuters said.
CCTV said the air patrol aims to effectively test and enhance the joint training and operational capabilities of the two air forces.
South Korea's military said it launched fighter jets after 11 Chinese and Russian military aircraft entered the country's air defense identification zone (ADIZ). The aircraft lingered over a period of four hours before exiting without incident.
South Korea has protested to China and Russia that the air patrol was conducted without notice.
Countries demand that foreign aircraft entering their ADIZ identify themselves for security reasons. Such zones however do not refer to territorial airspace of a sovereign state, and often overlap with ADIZs of other countries.
In July, both militaries conducted a joint air patrol using nuclear-capable strategic bombers near the US state of Alaska in the North Pacific and Arctic, prompting the United States and Canada to scramble fighter jets.