Obozrevatel: Ukraine again discusses purchase of "Iron Dome" How it works and whether it will protect from Russian missiles

At the suggestion of Ambassador Yevhen Korniychuk, the purchase of the Iron Dome anti-missile defence system is being discussed in Ukraine again. Such a system has been used by Israel for 15 years already and helps the military to fight the militants from Gaza Strip.

"I want the Israeli government to move away from its comfort zone and get back to reality. We need Israel's help... I mean, we need military and technical support, we need the Iron Dome to save our civilian women and children from Russian missile attacks on our territory," the diplomat said.

The Obozrevatel investigated what this weapon is, whether it is really so effective, and why Ukrainian experts doubt its necessity.

What is Iron Dome and who uses it?

The Iron Dome system is used by the Israeli army, one of the most effective in the world. The Iron Dome has repeatedly helped the military to intercept Palestinian missile attacks, most notably in the spring of 2021.

The creation of the missile defence began in 2006 because of the outbreak of conflict between Israel and a group of Lebanese Islamists Hezbollah. At the time, militants fired thousands of shells, killing dozens of citizens and causing widespread damage to the country.

It was developed by Rafael Advanced Defence System LTD, a private firm affiliated with the Israeli armed forces. The cost of the project was approximately 200 million dollars.

"Iron Dome is designed to protect against short-range missiles and artillery at a range of 4 to 70 km. It can be transported quickly on trucks and deployed quickly in the right place. The system is capable of operating both during the day and at night and in all weather conditions.

• Each battery consists of three main elements:
• detection and tracking radar;
• control centre;
• three to four launchers with 20 Tamir interceptor missiles.

Radar technology understands when a missile is aimed at a residential area. And only then does the Iron Dome launch an interceptor, which then tears apart enemy objects in midair.

The manufacturer claims that the Iron Dome is capable of hitting with a 90 per cent success rate. At the same time, The Washington Post states that the system is still not as effective as is commonly believed.

But the Iron Dome has one very significant disadvantage - the price of missiles. According to journalists, one load costs the Israeli budget about $50,000 to $100,000. The cost of one battery of the system is at least $50 million.

Does Ukraine need the Iron Dome?

The feature of the Iron Dome that makes it so effective is its targeting of short-range missiles fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip. Typically, these are the primitive artisanal Kassam shells used by Palestinian militants.

The dome will not be effective against Russian medium- and long-range guided missiles. According to military experts, this missile defence system is tactical, it is designed to protect against unguided missiles.

"Perhaps such a system would be suitable for covering Kyiv. As for the whole of Ukraine, the 150 square kilometres that a battery can protect is not enough. And it is unrealistic to find such a number of systems to cover the entire country. If it were before a full-scale invasion from 2014 to 2021, Ukraine could use them to cover critical facilities - for example, the Zaporizhzhia NPP. But as of today, this air defence system is not a panacea," Valentin Badrak, director of the Center for Army, Conversion and Disarmament Studies, noted in a comment to Obozrevatel.

In addition, the operation of the Iron Dome is very expensive. "Each shot costs about $100,000. That is, in case of use, they will be spent constantly if they are applied. Of course, it is not more expensive than human life, but the fact is a fact," explained the Consul of Israel in the Western Region Oleg Vishnyakov.

"This is a political issue. Israel is likely to give a negative answer. The probability of agreeing to the sale of such a system is still very low. Jerusalem is very problematic about selling any systems that could be used against Russia," Badrak added.

What are the alternatives?

The best option for Ukraine would be to get American Patriots, experts say. It is an anti-missile and anti-aircraft system to defend against tactical ballistic missiles. It is also effective against cruise missiles and military aircraft.

Poland has had such systems since 2010 - in the north, not far from the Kaliningrad region of Russia. Romania is another neighbouring state to Ukraine that has Patriot systems in its arsenal. The first of the seven purchased systems arrived there in September 2020.

"But if we talk about their purchase, we can't afford them. Unless the EU will finance it or it can be transferred as part of the lend-lease. Even if they do, it won't happen very soon," Badrak says.

Also, according to him, 3PK NASAMS, the joint development of Norwegian Norwegian Kongsberg and American Raytheon, would be suitable for today's needs. Its advantages are its breakneck speed (4,900 km/h), long-range, and sophisticated guidance system.

"But experts say there are no ready-made systems right now. Similar air defence systems have been under development for a long time for other customers. For example, Poland ordered American systems back in 2018, and only in 2022 is it supposed to receive them. Both in terms of finances and time, it is very difficult. If you take ready-made systems, then someone from your army has to give them to you. The Pentagon could do that, but will it agree to it?" the expert said.

A more realistic variant is the Soviet-made systems. For example, Poland has modernized antiaircraft missile complexes C200. They can be used for 200 km, while the Ukrainian ones can be used only for 55 km.

"They also consider it very important to create their own anti-aircraft missile system. In the long term, this is the most important direction. Because we will have to fight with Russia for many more years," the expert concluded.