Israel’s Iron Dome Can Now Shoot Down Drone and Missiles Simultaneously

Author: Published: March 23, 2021

The joint-U.S.-Israeli defense system continues to be upgraded and pay major dividends in real-time defense.

https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?id=tag%3Areuters.com%2C2019%3Anewsml_RC11E103CDA0&share=true
by Seth J. Frantzman

Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system continues to break new ground with the completion of a series of advanced tests last week that showed it could simultaneously intercept multiple drones and a salvo of rockets. This is important because Iranian threats to countries in the region, such as Saudi Arabia, have included the use of drones combined with missiles.

On March 16, Israel’s Ministry of Defense said that it had completed the tests involving the Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. Rafael developed Iron Dome and the system is celebrating ten years in operation in Israel with some 2,500 successful interceptions. Israel calls this latest advance a “leap forward.” The system has also added new capabilities that were announced in February 2021 and was involved in a multi-layered integrated air defense drill in December of 2020 alongside the David Sling and Arrow air defense systems which Israel uses.

“The technological capabilities developed by defense industries, including the Iron Dome and the multi-tier missile defense array, are central to the defense of the State of Israel,” said Israel’s Defense Minister, Benny Gantz. “In the face of emerging and rapidly changing threats, these new capabilities provide the political echelon and defense establishment with the operational flexibility that is critical to our national security. I would like to thank the IMDO and Rafael engineering teams, thanks to them, the citizens of Israel can sleep peacefully at night.”

Israel carried out the tests in southern Israel. “This campaign, along with two recent Iron Dome flight tests, demonstrated a significant upgrade of the system’s technological capabilities. The Iron Dome was tested in a range of complex scenarios and successfully intercepted and destroyed targets simulating existing and emerging threats, including the simultaneous interception of multiple UAVs as well as a salvo of rockets and missiles,” Israel’s Ministry of Defense said.

The Israel Air Force (IAF) was involved in the tests and Israel says that the new version of the Iron Dome system will be delivered to the IAF and the Navy for operational use and will strengthen Israel’s multi-tier missile defense capabilities. Israel’s Iron Dome uses radar developed by Elta which is a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries. Iron Dome was initially developed to confront shorter range rocket threats of the types being fired by Hamas terrorists in Gaza. However, in recent years it reached new levels, not only with capabilities against drones and other threats, but it was also delivered to the United States Army. This makes it one of the most capable operational air defense systems in the world. It is also highly relevant because of the new threats that have developed in the Middle East, including the use of smaller rockets and drones to attack U.S. forces in Israel and Saudi Arabia’s energy installations. The Iranian-backed Houthis in Saudi Arabia have carried out increasing attacks on Saudi Arabian energy sites in 2021.

“Thirty years after the First Gulf War, which led to the establishment of the Israel Missile Defense Organization, and ten years after the Iron Dome’s first operational interception, we have achieved a significant leap forward in the technological capabilities of the Iron Dome system,” said the head of the Israel Missile Defense Organization in the Ministry of Defense, Moshe Patel. “In the three test campaigns conducted in the last few months, the Iron Dome system demonstrated outstanding capabilities against evolving threats, including successfully intercepting salvos of rockets and missiles as well as intercepting multiple UAVs simultaneously. The new configuration of the Iron Dome system will be delivered to the IAF and Navy for operational use, and will further strengthen the State of Israel’s multi-tier missile defense array.”

Rafael also praised its new achievements. “Rafael and the IMDO have been continuously upgrading Iron Dome’s capabilities over the last decade, constantly improving its technological and operational performance. Our forward-looking approach allows us to address projected threats that are emerging around us. The capabilities that were demonstrated in this last test will ensure additional protection to the State of Israel,” said Executive Vice President and General Manager of Rafael’s Air and Missile Defense Division, Brig. Gen. (Res.) Pini Yungman.

Seth J. Frantzman is a Jerusalem-based journalist who holds a Ph.D. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is the executive director of the Middle East Center for Reporting and Analysis and a writing fellow at Middle East Forum. He is the author of After ISIS: America, Iran and the Struggle for the Middle East (forthcoming Gefen Publishing). Follow him on Twitter at @sfrantzman.

Is Russia Trying to Play Kingmaker in Lebanon?

Author: Published: March 22, 2021

For Moscow, Lebanon, a strategic country on the Mediterranean, is an important extension of Putin’s Syria interests.

by Anna Borshchevskaya

In the backdrop of Russian police rounding up the country’s own politicians and journalists at a peaceful conference, it seems only fitting that Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov welcomed a Hezbollah delegation in Moscow. After all, Hezbollah has its own distinguished history of harassing and killing opposition journalists. Unlike Western states, the Kremlin does not consider the Iran-backed and Lebanon-based Hezbollah a terrorist organization. Lebanon important to Vladimir Putin’s aims to expand Russian influence In the Middle East. The country is now in the midst of its worst economic and political crisis in decades and experts note that Hezbollah is losing popular support. Is Moscow now trying to play kingmaker in Lebanon by using Hezbollah?

The first time a Hezbollah delegation came to Moscow on an official visit was in October 2011, upon Moscow’s invitation. Few details of the visit were made public, but reportedly Hezbollah, for its part, wanted to enhance cooperation on “issues of mutual concern.” These likely included Syria and Moscow’s support for the Assad regime. Now, just as in the past visit, Lebanese parliamentarian Muhammad Raad of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc headed the delegation in Moscow. Again it was Moscow that invited Hezbollah. And, as ten years ago, few details of the visit are available. In response to a question about the meeting Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry said laconically, “We confirm the fact of the meeting.” Raad told Hezbollah’s Al-Manar the meeting focused on how to “strengthen stability in Lebanon and Syria and the achievements that were made against terrorists.” The meeting also comes about a week after Lavrov met with Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri as part of Lavrov’s trip to Abu Dhabi, where the two officials discussed Syria and strengthening Russian-Lebanese ties.

For Moscow, Lebanon, a strategic country on the Mediterranean, is important both as an extension of Putin’s Syria interests and in its own right. Moscow supported Hezbollah in the 2006 war in Lebanon as part of broader efforts to improve Russia’s relations with Tehran and undermine the peaceful pro-democracy 2005 Cedar Revolution. Putin saw these events as an extension of Western effort of fomenting “color revolutions,” chiefly in the post-Soviet space, to unseat corrupt and authoritarian regimes—including his own. In Lebanon in particular the Cedar revolution threatened to weaken Hezbollah and Syrian influence in Lebanon, as well as strengthen that of the West; Putin could not sit idly by.

Fast-forwarding to Putin’s intervention in Syria—planned most likely during another Hezbollah visit to Moscow, when in July 2015, the  Iranian Revolutionary Guard Commander—and Hezbollah master— Qassem Suleimani opened a map to show that Assad was in danger of falling. Moscow then deepened its cooperation with Iran and Hezbollah, whose members fought side by side with Russian forces, coordinated with and learned from them. Moscow also armed Hezbollah, while Russian ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin praised Hezbollah in February 2019 for its actions in Syria. “The [Hezbollah] party took a responsible approach to what was happening in Syria and the region as a whole and contributed significantly to terrorists’ defeat,” he said.

In this context, Moscow also deepened its ties with Lebanon, including in the military sphere. It does not surprise that in the wake of this summer’s tragedy of a massive explosion in the port of Beirut that laid bare the corruption and incompetence of the ruling elite and led the Lebanese into the streets to demand fundamental political change, Putin worked to preserve the political status quo. The kind of reform protestors envisioned would cause Putin to lose influence.

That Lebanon remains in crisis, though, is not necessarily bad news for Putin, especially because at least in the short-term, the Lebanese protestors have not achieved the reform they envisioned, while much remains uncertain in terms of what pressure the West is willing to exert when it comes to upcoming nuclear talks with Iran. If Lebanese Hezbollah comes to Moscow at a time when it is weak, then Putin could use the situation to shape the future political outcomes in the country in a way that suits his interests. Western policymakers would be wise to deny Putin such opportunities, pay more attention to Lebanon and draw clear lines when it comes to Iran and Hezbollah.

Anna Borshchevskaya is a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy focusing on Russia’s policy towards the Middle East, and author of the upcoming book, Putin’s War in Syria: Russian Foreign Policy and the Price of America’s Absence

Khamenei: The US promises have no credibility

Author: Published: March 22, 2021

Iran’s Supreme Leader: The US will only return to its commitments under 2015 deal once Washington fully removes the sanctions.

Elad Benari , Mar 22 , 2021 4:10 AM

 

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Reuters

Iran does not trust US promises on lifting sanctions and will only return to its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal once Washington fully removes the measures, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday, according to Reuters.

“We trusted America at the time of (former US President Barack) Obama and fulfilled our commitments. But they didn’t. The Americans said on paper that sanctions will be lifted, but they didn’t lift sanctions in practice. Their promises have no credibility for us,” he said.

“On paper they said the sanctions were lifted but they told any company that wanted to sign a contract with us that this was dangerous and risky. They scared away investors,” added the Supreme Leader.

“The Americans must lift all sanctions. We will verify it and if sanctions are … really cancelled, we will return to our obligations without any problems,” Khamenei said. “We have a lot of patience and we are not in a hurry.”

Iran has gradually scaled back its compliance with the 2015 deal in response to former US President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the agreement in May of 2018.

Current President Joe Biden has expressed a desire to return to the deal but has stressed that Iran must resume compliance with it before any negotiations on a US return to the agreement.

The US recently accepted Europe’s offer to mediate conversations with Iran regarding the 2015 nuclear deal.

Iran, however, rejected the proposal, claiming that the “time was not right” to hold such talks.

The US has stressed it will not offer Iran unilateral incentives to persuade it to attend talks about both sides resuming compliance with the 2015 deal.

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