Rocket interceptors can prevent wars for Israel

Advanced air defense technology has the potential to shorten, even prevent wars, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Tuesday, lauding Iron Dome, a locally- developed system that last week intercepted hundreds of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip. Speaking during a visit to Rafael Advanced Systems Ltd., a state-owned defense contractor, Barak said the achievements of its engineers have "dramatically changed" the campaign Israel is waging against mass rocket and missile attacks. "It gives the civilians a sense of security and the political leadership the freedom to make decisions in a way that not only reduces the damage incurred in wars, but can, when the timing is right, preventwars or delay them," Barak said, according to a press release. Rafael began developing Iron Dome, designed to intercept short- range rockets, in the aftermath of the 2006 Lebanon war, when Hezbollah fired some 4,000 rockets into northern Israel. The systemlast week shot down 350 out of 1,300 projectiles launched from Gaza at southern Israel. Last Thursday, the company successfully tested David's Sling, a system being jointly developed with American defense contractor Raytheon, that is designed to intercept medium- to long-range rockets and cruise missiles. In a first live-fire trial held in the Negev desert, a battery destroyed an incoming missile with "perfect accuracy," the Defense Ministry revealed Tuesday evening. The system, also known as Magic Wand, is scheduled to become operational in 2014. Inspecting full-scale models of the intercepting missiles at Rafael's headquarters, Barak said they represent "a zenith of technological achievement ... there is no country, no military in the world that possesses such advanced, effective means." Asked whether Israel may eventually opt to invest most of its resources in Iron Dome and its likes, Barak emphasized that they are not meant to replace the military's offensive capabilities. "We are investing a lot in the offensive side. In the Middle East, clearly, there's no way to win, neither in short operations, like that last week, nor in bigger events, without having very sharp and precise attack capabilities," Barak noted. He said such capabilities "will also be seen in every future challenge, to counter threats both near and far."