Sderot (Israel), December 23
The 60-km-long Gaza Strip on the Mediterranean coast poses a threat to neighbouring Israel on a daily basis. Rockets fired by Hamas rebels from the Gaza targeting civilians in Israel have cast a menacing shadow. The most recent flare up in these strife torn and tense parts of the globe saw the Hamas fire some 1529 rockets at Tel Aviv, Ashkelon, Sderot and Ashdod in Israel over a span of two weeks.

Using hi-end technology, Israel shot down most of these rockets limiting damage on its side. The stand-off with the Hamas ended in a ceasefire on November 23. "We had a success rate of 95 per cent in shooting down incoming rockets," says Lt Col Moti Numan of the Israel Defence Forces. Numan was heading the military unit tasked with shooting down the Hamas rockets under an operation code named 'Pillar of Defence' using a new air-defence system, called the 'Iron Dome'.

The need for the Iron Dome was first felt after the 'second Lebanon war' of 2006 when the Hezbollah rebels in Southern Lebanon, located north of Israel, blasted northern parts of the only Jewish majority country in the world. Israel tasked its military research scientists to develop a new system.

The mandate was: detect rockets being fired from enemy territory and then direct own missiles with pinpoint accuracy to bring down the incoming rockets in mid-air. Reaction time was crucial as the distance between a territory like Gaza Strip and closest Israeli settlements varies between 4-7 km. The towns of Sderot and Ashkelon are the closest. Here the government has made it mandatory for residents to have fortified room within their house.

Meaning, a rocket, if not brought down, can hit a target within 12-20 seconds of its launch. Hence was born the Iron Dome, a new system showcasing the Israeli prowess in precision weaponry and capability of working with short reaction times. After Russia, Israel is India's biggest supplier of military hardware like radars, missiles and sensors.

To explain the Iron Dome and the latest 'aggression' from Hamas, Israel invited a group of Indian journalists on a visit to worst targeted areas. The first of the 'Iron dome" launchers was used in April 2011. "Now it stands fully integrated with sensors, radars and five batteries that ring the Gaza strip located in south western edge of Israel", said one of senior developers of the system.

In November this year, when the Hamas ramped up its firing on Israeli targets like thermal power stations and civilian homes, the 'Iron Dome' was unleashed. The Hamas this time also used the Iranian origin Fajr-5 rockets with 70-km range to target the economic hub of Tel Aviv only be foiled. "The Iron Dome is one of layers of air defence, not the only one," said an Israeli official.

the missile shield

* The Iron Dome system was built in response to the ongoing rocket attacks by Hamas rebels from the Gaza targeting civilians in Israel

* It showcases the Israeli prowess in precision weaponry and capability of working with short reaction times

* The need for the Iron Dome was first felt after the ‘second Lebanon war’ of 2006 when the Hezbollah rebels bombed northern parts of Israel