Iron Dome keeps making strides in the US
The US Army has held its second interception test of Iron Dome. (Photo: US Army)
Following a successful integration with the US Marine Corps, the Iron Dome is one step closer to being fielded by the US Army.
The US Army and the Israeli MoD’s Israeli Missile Defense Organisation (IMDO) have conducted an Iron Dome Defence System-Army (IDDS-A) missile flight test.
This event marks the second interception test since two IDDS-A batteries were supplied to the US at the end of 2020.
In a 3 August statement, Iron Dome manufacturer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems said: ‘US Army soldiers assigned to 3-43 Air Defense Artillery Battalion successfully detected, tracked, and intercepted multiple CM [cruise missile] and UAS surrogate targets.’
The US Army ‘will use the IDDS-A to defend supporter forces within fixed and semi-fixed locations against sub-sonic cruise missiles, groups 2&3 UAS, rockets, artillery and mortar threats,' the statement continued.
In mid-July, the US Marine Corps successfully integrated the Iron Dome ground launcher and Tamir interceptor missile with the Northrop Grumman AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) and the corps' CAC2S battle management system.
Iron Dome has served as the lowest layer of the multi-layered Israeli air and missile defence network since 2011.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
![Ukraine’s ground robot army still finding its feet]()
Ukraine’s ground robot army still finding its feet
Ukraine’s quest to replace soldiers with robots is hitting technical snags. Shephard spoke with industry leaders about difficulties in the field and what solutions are in the pipeline.
-
![DOK-ING presents CUAS MV-8 armed with Valhalla Mangart 25 turret]()
DOK-ING presents CUAS MV-8 armed with Valhalla Mangart 25 turret
The partnership between Croatia’s DOK-ING and Slovenia’s Valhalla Turrets reflects an effort to combine ground robots and with improved capabilities and new roles and follows Rheinmetall presenting its Ox with Dispatch charging docks from Valinor.
-
![British Army vehicle programme may be shifting gears again]()
British Army vehicle programme may be shifting gears again
The UK’s effort to replace thousands of vehicles across a dozen base vehicle types has had a troubled history and statements from the UK’s Defence Minster Luke Pollard indicate change may be on the way.
-
![Scorpion light mortar completes tests with US Army and moves to next exercise]()
Scorpion light mortar completes tests with US Army and moves to next exercise
Having completed five days of trials with the US Army, the two Scorpion Light mortar systems will stay in Hawaii to take part in planned Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center training exercises in early November.
-
![EOS improving Slinger CUAS role as industry pushes forward]()
EOS improving Slinger CUAS role as industry pushes forward
EOS Defence Systems officially launched its Slinger anti-drone system in 2023. The system features a remote weapon station, visual sensors and a Northrop Grumman 30mm cannon with specially designed ammunition, combined with EOS’s stabilisation and pointing technology.
