America could buy Israel’s Iron Dome system
The world superpower said it saw benefits to the system which prevents rockets fired by terror group Hamas from reaching Israel
Israel’s Iron Dome interceptors could soon be protecting American military bases abroad, according to the team behind a major Pentagon pitch.
Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and U.S. partner Raytheon are trying to sell an Americanised version of the Iron Dome’s Tamir interceptors to the U.S. military, which operates almost 800 military bases in more than 70 countries.
Similar to that deployed in Israel, it would be a ground-based missile interceptor system using “guided missiles with electro-optic sensors and adjustable steering fins for tracking and destroying incoming enemy rockets, missiles, artillery and mortars”.
The team said Iron Dome had “advantages… on price, capability and maturity of the system,” noting that half of all U.S. funding for Israel’s Iron Dome had already gone to Raytheon, which makes some of the major components.
“The minute that the US decides to procure Iron Dome, we will transfer all the knowledge and production file to Raytheon,” said Yosi Druker, head of Rafael’s Air Superiority Systems division.
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