Army Plans Next Steps for Iron Dome Missile Defense ARMY NEWS
12/18/2020
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. photos
The U.S. Army has adopted Iron Dome, the Israeli missile defense system that gained a strong reputation for its performance in the Gaza Strip.
The system was first deployed in 2011 and has provided protection against unmanned aerial vehicles and missile threats to Israel. Equipped with the Tamir missile, Iron Dome has since undergone regular upgrades. The system is made by Rafael Advanced Defense and has a 90 percent success rate, according to the company.
The technology will be filling the role of the U.S. Army’s interim indirect fires protection capability. Under pressure from Congress, the service was mandated in the fiscal year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act to purchase the missile defense systems while the service searches for a more permanent solution for its cruise missile defense gap.
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Japan to develop new ‘stand-off’ anti-ship missiles Agencies in Tokyo Japan is seeking to enhance its defence capabilities in the face of the North Korean missile threat and China’s assertiveness in the East China Sea. File photo: AFP
Japan on Friday said it will develop new stand-off anti-ship missiles that will allow it to target warships at greater distances around its southwestern Okinawa island chain, including disputed islets in the East China Sea that China also claims. The security environment around our southwestern islands has become harsh. We have to respond to that in an appropriate way, Japanese Minister of Defence Nobuo Kishi said at a press briefing.
Dec 18, 2020
Japan’s decision to build two new naval vessels equipped with Aegis missile interceptors an alternative to a scrapped plan to deploy a land-based system could prompt further armament by potential adversaries, security experts have warned.
On Friday, the Cabinet of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga approved deployment of the ships and possible installation of interceptor missiles capable of countering various aerial threats, including cruise missiles.
Japan has been concerned about the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region amid a deterioration in U.S.-China relations, seeing Beijing as seeking to change the strategic status quo in the East and South China seas through force and coercion with its increasing military capability. It has also been threatened by North Korea’s missile development.