Iron Dome Main Actor in Gaza War

Posted on November 24, 2012 by Akashma Online News
By Marivel Guzman

Israel Test Iron Dome in Gaza – 90 % Success? Order Yours

Reuters Agency is running the story on the Iron Dome Defense System but their numbers do not add up.
Every intercepting missile cost $ 90,000 each, and Israel is saying that they used 2 interceptor missiles for every Rocket fired from Gaza, so every Rocket intercepted cost was of $ 180,000, multiply that by 421 Gaza Rockets intercepted, that gives us a total of $75, 780, 000 not the $30 millions Reuters agency is posting.

“Israel’s Iron Dome interceptions of Palestinian rockets during eight days of Gaza fighting cost $25 million to $30 million, the government said on Thursday, arguing the U.S.-backed system was well worth the money.” Reuters Agency

“Were Iron Dome traded on the (Tel Aviv) stock exchange or Nasdaq, it would have multiplied its share value several times over,” Civil Defense Minister Avi Dichter told Israel Radio in an interview where he outlined the system’s outlay.
The price for every battery is

“According to Israel the Iron Dome System using radar-guided interceptor missiles shot down 421 of some 1,500 rockets launched from the Gaza Strip between November 14 and Wednesday’s Egyptian-brokered truce, the military said.
It put Iron Dome’s success rate at 90 percent. To lower costs, the system engages only rockets that threaten populated areas, though it often fires two interceptor missiles at once.” Reuters Agency

Again the number do not add up, they talking of 90 % success wrong again. If they stop 421 Rockets out of 1500 fired from Gaza this is only 28 % rate success, this is simple math.
Rafael develops and produces fighting-technologies for the Israel Defense Forces as well for exporting abroad. All current projects are classified
Rockets killed 5 people in Israel and 162 in Gaza,  and wounded 27 people in Israel and 1200 in Gaza during the conflict. Three died in coastal Ashdod on a day when Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd, Iron Dome’s state-owned manufacturer, said the system had suffered a malfunction. Really? what happen with the other 1079 Gaza Rockets that were not intercepted? Was the Iron Dome malfunctioning?

“If more Hamas rockets had got through, especially the handful fired at the commercial hub Tel Aviv, and caused mass casualties, devastating Israeli retaliation perhaps including a full-scale ground assault would have been nearly certain.” Defense Minister Ehud Barak

A senior official estimated that such escalation could cost Israel (US) as much as $380 million a day. Keen to stem that risk, the United States has been helping bankroll Iron Dome. President Barack Obama pledged further support on Wednesday.
Israel says it needs 13 batteries for satisfactory nationwide Defense. A Defense industry source put the unit cost for Israel at around $50 million.
On 2011 The US congress approved 205 million dollars to built Iron Dome batteries and in 2012, 1 billion dollars was approved to build more Iron Domes.
In exchange for the second tranche of deployment funding, the United States is asking Israel for access to, and a stake in, elements of the system’s technology.
On 17 May 2012, when Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak met with U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, the Pentagon issued a statement from the Secretary saying in part, “I was pleased to inform Minister Barak that the President supports Israel’s Iron Dome system and directed me to fill the $70 million in assistance for Iron Dome that Minister Barak indicated to me Israel needs this fiscal year.”
The US taxpayer ticket price of Israel war over Gaza, 1 billion 275 millions, it is an eccentricity that we can not have. Taking in consideration the economic situation in the US this dilapidation of American tax dollars is betrayal to the American people. Our school are in a budgetary crisis since ever, the health system is broken, our elders are suffering the cuts and our Congress is giving the money away to Israel is outrageous.
According to Israel the focus of Israel’s aerial assault on Gaza were the stockpiles and launch silos of rockets imported or improvised by Hamas and other factions. Gaza medical officials said 162 Palestinians were killed, more than half of them civilians, including children, women and elderly.
This areal bombardment of Gaza infrastructure and residential areas speaks of abuse of power, blood thirsty Israel to inflict the most damage in the less time. The way Israel “guided” their  missiles has nothing to do with targets supposedly surgical accuracy, accuracy that killed 160 people from which 80 % were innocent civilians. This speaks of carnage, genocide and no regard for human life.
The most potent of those rockets were Iranian-designed Fajr-5s with 75 km (46 mile) ranges and 175 kg (385 lb) warheads, though Hamas also said it used a Gaza-made variant, “Qassam M-75″.

“On Wednesday, Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Mohammad-Ali Jafari said Iran has provided the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, with only the technology to produce Fajr 5 (Dawn) missiles.
“Gaza is currently under siege so we cannot help them,” Jafari said, adding, “We offer all Muslims technological aid to [help them] stand up against arrogant powers and we offer [to give] them our experiences to defend their people.” Press TV

Iran denies supplying arms to the Palestinians.
Summarizing the Gaza assault in a separate Israel Radio interview, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said: “Hamas’s heavy rockets were destroyed (and) a large part of the mid-range rockets were destroyed.”
With the United States on track to greatly increase funding for Iron Dome, there have been calls for technology transfer and co-production of Iron Dome in the United States. Just as the US and Israel share co-production of the Arrow III missile system, with Boeing manufacturing 40–50 percent of the production content, there has been support in the U.S. Congress, media and think tanks in favor of co-production. The U.S. House of Representatives included report language in its FY-2013 Defense Authorization Act supporting Iron Dome with $680 million but also instructing that the Director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, Lt. Gen. Patrick O’Reilly, “should explore any opportunity to enter into co-production of the Iron Dome system with Israel, in light of the significant U.S. investment in this system.” There are media reports that the Pentagon is requesting similar language in the Senate Defense Authorization Act as well as the respective House and Senate defense appropriations bills for 2013. Adding Iron Dome to the list of high-tech military programs built jointly by both nations would help further strengthen ties between Israel and America
While the people suffer in United States, the Weapons manufactures are laughing their way to the bank.
With this Israel-Partnership type of partners in crime, Israel and US government are using their citizens money to enriched the weapons manufactures. They are creating regional conflict so they have the excuse to ask for more money for arms to our congress.
Israel chose Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd over the American defense contractor Lockheed Martin, why?
See it this way, US congress authorized 1 billion 275 millions between 2011-2012 for Israel Iron Dome Defense System, now that it was tested in Gaza, with 90 % rate success. US congress will give more money to Israel to built more Iron Domes, then Israel it will turn around and will sell to the US. If Lockheed Martin the American company was chosen over Rafael then Israel would not be making the money selling the Iron Done to US and the rest of the world.  Not bad for Israel, a Bad Deal for America.