Though the international community has been consistent in calling for Israel to stop defending itself from Gazan missile attacks by destroying missile launching sites and parties, Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense systems have gained respect and admiration worldwide, dependably annihilating rockets on their way to targets in Israeli residential areas.

The Associated Press wrote a report touting the success of Iron Dome, and explaining its specs and uses.

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In the report, the AP noted that the Israeli-based Rafael Advanced Defense Systems produced Iron Dome, which was intended to shoot down missiles and artillery in an up to 45 mile range.  So far, the five Iron Dome batteries deployed in Israel’s south and outside Tel Aviv have succeeded 8 out of every 10 uses.

The state-of-the-art Iron Dome system calculates the trajectory of each missile, allowing those which are headed toward unpopulated areas to land, and immediately intercepting those which are headed toward populated or important areas using a special warhead.

If there is any downside to Iron Dome, it is the price tag.  Each missile costs $40,000. In 2010, the US put $200 million into expanding the development – a greater budget is being anticipated for 2012.

The Iron Dome system operates under the same principal as the “Arrow” missile defense system, which is meant to protect against long-range missiles from Iran, and is the predecessor of the upcoming “David’s Sling” anti-missile system, being developed by Rafael to neutralize medium-range missiles by 2014.

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Malkah Fleisher is a graduate of Cardozo Law School in New York City. She is an editor/staff writer at JewishPress.com and co-hosts a weekly Israeli FM radio show. Malkah lives with her husband and two children on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.