Lessons from the Iron Dome

Israel has been under rocket attack for many years. Over the years, the State of Israel has developed a doctrine for defense against high trajectory weapons, of which rocket fire is one type. This article focuses on the Iron Dome system, which entered into operational service in early 2011 and demonstrated what it was capable of within a few months of its deployment. The article attempts to examine the lessons from the system's deployment and to reassess the decision about purchasing the system. It will also examine future ramifications of deploying this system and other systems that are expected to enter into service in the near future.