IRON DOME

Introduction
Iron Dome (Hebrew: , kippat barzel) is a mobile all-weather air

defense system developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.[6] The

system is designed to intercept and destroy shortrange rockets and artillery shells fired from distances of 4 kilometres
(2.5 mi) to 70 kilometres (43 mi) away and whose trajectory would take
them to a populated area. Israel hopes to increase the range of Iron
Dome's interceptions, from the current maximum of 70 kilometres (43 mi)
to 250 kilometres (160 mi) and make it more versatile so that it could
intercept rockets coming from two directions simultaneously. Iron Dome
was declared operational and initially deployed on 27 March 2011

near Beersheba.[11] On 7 April 2011, the system successfully intercepted

a Grad rocket launched from Gaza for the first time.[12] On 10 March

2012, The Jerusalem Post reported that the system shot down 90% of
rockets launched from Gaza that would have landed in populated

areas.[9] By November 2012, official statements indicated that it had

intercepted 400+ rockets. By late October 2014, the Iron Dome systems
had intercepted over 1,200 rockets.

Background
Hezbollah, based in Lebanon, fired rockets into northern Israeli population
centers in the 1990s, posing a security challenge for the Israel Defense
Forces. Israel had floated the idea of its own short-range antimissile
system, but American defense officials cautioned that it would be
"doomed to fail".
In 2004, the idea for Iron Dome gained momentum with the installation of
Brig. Gen. Daniel Gold as the head of the research and
development bureau of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Gold was a
strong backer of the antimissile project, even skirting army contracting

regulations to secure financing. He also helped persuade key politicians

to support the project.
During the 2006 Second Lebanon War, approximately 4,000 Hezbollahfired rockets (the great majority of which were short-rangeKatyusha
rockets) landed in northern Israel, including on Haifa, the country's third
largest city. The rocket barrage killed 44 Israeli civilians and caused

some 250,000 Israeli citizens to evacuate and relocate to other parts of

Israel while an estimated 1 million Israelis were confined in or near bomb
shelters during the conflict.
To the south, more than 8,000 projectiles (estimated at 4,000 rockets and
4,000 mortar bombs) were fired indiscriminately into Israeli population
centers from Gaza between 2000 and 2008, principally by Hamas. Almost
all of the rockets fired were Qassams launched by122 mm Grad
launchers smuggled into the Gaza Strip, giving longer range than other
launch methods. Nearly a million Israelis living in the south were within
rocket range, posing a serious security threat to the country and its
citizens.

Specification
The system is designed to counter short-range rockets and 155 mm
artillery shells with a range of up to 70 kilometers. According to its
manufacturer, Iron Dome will operate day and night, under adverse

weather conditions, and can respond to multiple threats simultaneously. [1]

Iron Dome has three central components:

Detection & Tracking Radar: the radar system is built by Elta, an

Israeli defense company and subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries,

and by the IDF.

Battle Management & Weapon Control (BMC): the control center is

built for Rafael by mPrest Systems, an Israeli software company.

Missile Firing Unit: the unit launches the Tamir interceptor missile,

equipped with electro-optic sensors and several steering fins for high
maneuverability. The missile is built by Rafael.

The system's radar is referred to as EL/M-2084. It detects the rocket's

launch and tracks its trajectory. The BMC calculates the impact point
according to the reported data, and uses this information to determine
whether the target constitutes a threat to a designated area. Only when
that threat is determined, is an interceptor missile fired to destroy the
incoming rocket before it reaches the predicted impact area.

Typical battery
The typical air
defense missile
battery consists of
a radar unit, missile
control unit, and
several launchers,
all located at the
same site.
Conversely, Iron Dome is built to deploy in a scattered pattern. Each
launcher, containing 20 interceptors, is independently deployed and
operated remotely via a secure wireless connection. Reportedly, each
battery is capable of protecting an urban area of approximately 150
square kilometers.

Funding
The initial funding and development of the Iron Dome system was

provided and undertaken by Israel. This allowed for the deployment of

the first two Iron Dome systems. Subsequently, funding for an additional
eight Iron Dome systemsalong with funding for a supply of interception
missilesis currently being provided by the United States, with two of
these additional systems having been delivered by 2012. Funding for the
production and deployment of these additional Iron Dome batteries and
interceptor missiles was approved by the United States Congress, after
being requested by President Obama in 2010. In May 2010, the White
House announced that U.S. President Barack Obama would seek
$205 million from U.S. Congress in his 2011 budget, to spur the
production and deployment of additional Iron Dome batteries
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IRON DOMEs RADAR

The radar used in iron dome is manufactured by elta and is of ELM2084 type. It is a multi-mission radar capable of detecting aerial objects
ranging from aircrafts to artillery shells. This radar consists of Active
Electronically Scanned Array
(AESA). It is more efficient than
the traditionally used Radio
Transmitter and antenna system
of radar. It is mobile and can
operate in all-weather
conditions. Due to its light
weight it can be transported
through air (by C-130) and has less time of deployment. It has the
capability to track multiple objects and the source of the artillery shells
(Weapons cache). It has a higher upgrade rate of aerial targets. It can
also trace threats at a very low height. It can trace the trajectory of
manoeuvring and air breathing targets.

Active Electronically Scanned Array:

An active electronically scanned array (AESA), also known as active
phased array radar (APAR), is a type of phased
arrayradar whose transmitter and receiver functions are composed of
numerous small solid-state transmit/receive modules (TRMs). AESA radars
aim their "beam" by emitting separate radio waves from each module that
interfere constructively at certain angles in front of the antenna. Advanced
AESA radars can improve on the older passive electronically scanned
array (PESA) radars by spreading their signal emissions out across a
band of frequencies, which makes it very difficult to detect over
background noise, allowing ships and aircraft to broadcast powerful radar
signals while still remaining stealthy.

Radar systems generally work by connecting an antenna to a powerful

radio transmitter to emit a short pulse of signal. The transmitter is then
disconnected and the antenna is connected to a sensitive receiver which
amplifies any echos from target objects. By measuring the time it takes
for the signal to return, the
radar receiver can determine
the distance to the object.

The receiver then sends the

resulting output to a display
of some sort. The transmitter
elements were
typically klystron
tubes or magnetrons, which
are suitable for amplifying or generating a narrow range of frequencies to
high power levels. To scan a portion of the sky, the radar antenna must
be physically moved to point in different directions.
Starting in the 1960s new solid-state devices capable of delaying the
transmitter signal in a controlled way were introduced. That led to the
first practical large-scale passive electronically scanned array, or simply
phased array radar. PESAs took a signal from a single source, split it
into hundreds of paths, selectively delayed some of them, and sent them
to individual antennas. The radio signals from the separate antennas
overlapped in space, and the interference patterns between the individual
signals was controlled to reinforce the signal in certain directions, and
mute it in all others. The delays could be easily controlled electronically,
allowing the beam to be steered very quickly without moving the antenna.
A PESA can scan a volume of space much quicker than a traditional
mechanical system. Additionally, thanks to progress in electronics, PESAs
added the ability to produce several active beams, allowing them to
continue scanning the sky while at the same time focusing smaller
beams on certain targets for tracking or guiding semi-active radar
homing missiles. PESAs quickly became widespread on ships and large
fixed emplacements in the 1960s, followed by airborne sensors as the
electronics shrank.

AESAs are the result of further developments in solid-state electronics. In

earlier systems the transmitted signal was originally created in a klystron
or traveling wave tube or similar device, which are relatively large.
Receiver electronics were also large due to the high frequencies that
they worked with. The introduction of gallium arsenide microelectronics
through the 1980s served to greatly reduce the size of the receiver

elements, until effective ones could be built at sizes similar to those of

handheld radios, only a few cubic centimeters in volume. The introduction
of JFETs and MESFETs did the same to the transmitter side of the
systems as well. Now an entire radar, the transmitter, receiver and
antenna, could be shrunk into a single "transmitter-receiver module"
(TRM) about the size of a carton of milk.
The primary advantage of an AESA over a PESA is capability of the
different modules to operate on different frequencies. Unlike the PESA,
where the signal is generated at single frequencies by a small number of
transmitters, in the AESA each module generates and radiates its own
independent signal. This allows the AESA to produce numerous "subbeams" and actively "paint" a much larger number of targets. Additionally,
the solid-state transmitters are able to transmit effectively at a much
wider range of frequencies, giving AESAs the ability to change their
operating frequency with every pulse sent out. AESAs can also produce
beams that consist of many different frequencies at once, using postprocessing of the combined signal from a number of TRMs to re-create a
display as if there was a single powerful beam being sent.

Advantages of AESA Radars

Since each element in an AESA is a powerful radio receiver, active

arrays have many roles besides traditional radar. One use is to dedicate
several of the elements to reception of common radar signals, eliminating
the need for a separate radar warning receiver. The same basic concept
can be used to provide traditional radio support, and with some elements
also broadcasting, form a very high bandwidth data link. The F-35 uses
this mechanism to send sensor data between aircraft in order to provide
a synthetic picture of higher resolution and range than any one radar
could generate. In 2007, tests by Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin,
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and L-3 Communications enabled the AESA system of a Raptor to act

like a WiFi access point, able to transmit data at 548 megabits per
second and receive at gigabit speed; this is far faster than the Link
16 system used by US and allied aircraft, which transfers data at just
over 1 Mbit/s.[4] To achieve these high data rates requires a highly

directional antenna which AESA provides but which precludes reception

by other units not within the antennas beamwidth. Like most Wi-Fi

designs, Link-16 transmits its signal omni-directionally to ensure all units

within range can receive the data.
AESAs are also much more reliable than either a PESA or older designs.
Since each module operates independently of the others, single failures
have little effect on the operation of the system as a whole. Additionally,
the modules individually operate at low powers, perhaps 40 to 60 watts,
so the need for a large high-voltage power supply is eliminated.
Replacing a mechanically scanned array with a fixed AESA mount (such
as on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet) can help reduce an aircraft's
overall radar cross-section (RCS), but some designs (such as
the Eurofighter Typhoon) forgo this advantage in order to combine
mechanical scanning with electronic scanning and provide a wider angle
of total coverage.[5]

Tamir missile Interceptors

Specification:
Length of Missile: 3m
Diameter of missile: 16 cm
Weight of missile: 90kg
Weight of warhead: 11kg
Speed: Mach 2.2 (700m/s)
Minimum Range: 4 km
Maximum Range: 17 km
Cost of missile: $50,000 (sometimes varies from $30,000 to 100,000)

Mechanism of Destruction of incoming artillery shells

The tamir interceptor missile uses
laser proximity fuse technology to
trigger the war head. The head of
the missile is fitted with laser
proximity fuse which emits laser
beam. When this laser beam gets
reflected back from the artillery
shells it triggers the warhead
which is placed adjacent to the
head of the missile. The warhead
is ejected in a direction
perpendicular to the length of the
missile, due to the velocity of the
missile of the missile the ejected
warhead forms a forward cone
like formation and hits the
artillery shell where it was detected by the laser proximity fuse. Since, it
sprays the warhead sidewise so to completely destroy the incoming shells
it should approach it head on and not sidewise.
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Working of Proximity Fuze

A proximity fuze is a fuze that detonates
an explosive device automatically when the
distance to the target becomes smaller than
a predetermined value, which can also take
place when the fuze and the target pass by
each other. Various kinds of proximity fuzes
are designed for various targets such as
planes, missiles, ships at sea and ground
forces. They provide a more sophisticated
trigger mechanism than the common contact
fuze. The proximity fuze is considered one of the most important
technological innovations of World War II. It was so important that it was
a secret guarded to a similar level as the atom bomb project or Dday

invasion.

There are various types of sensors used in a proximity fuze which may
be radio, pressure, optical, acoustic or magnetic based. The proximity
fuze used in tamir interceptor is radio based. It emits laser beams in a
forward cone pattern which when reflects back from the incoming artillery
shell then it detonates the warhead (The explosive in the missile). The
induction of proximity fuze in the interceptor increases the chance of
destruction of the incoming threat.

Aerodynamics of missile:
Aerodynamics is an important factor while designing a missile. Missile
generally fly at high altitude due to less air resistance at such heights.

The principal
forces acting on
a missile in level
flight are thrust,
drag, weight, and
lift. Like any
forces, each of
these is a vector
quantity.
Thrust (force) is directed along the longitudinal axis of the missile
and is the force which propels it forward at speeds sufficient to sustain
flight. Drag is the resistance air offers to the passage of the missile
through air, and is directed rearward. The weight of the missile is the
pull of gravity on the missile, and is directed downward toward the
centre of the earth. Opposed to the force of gravity is lift, an upward
force which supports the missile. Lift is directed perpendicular to the
direction of drag.
Lift is produced by means of pressure differences. The primary factor
contributing to lift is that the air pressure on the upper surface of an air
foil (wing) must be less than the pressure on the underside. The amount
of lifting force provided is dependent to a large extent on the shape of
the wing. Additional factors which determine the amount of lift are the
wing area, the angle at which the wing surface is inclined to the
airstream (angle of attack), and the density and speed of the air passing
around it. The air foil that gives the greatest lift with the least drag in
subsonic (less than the speed of sound) flight has a shape similar to the
one illustrated in figure 3-5.
Some of the standard terms applied to air foils are included in the
sketch. The foremost edge of the wing is called the leading edge, and
that at the rear the trailing edge (fig. 3-5A). A straight line between the
leading and the trailing edges is called the chord. The distance from one
wingtip to the other (not shown) is known as the SPAN. The angle of
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incidence (fig. 3-5B) is the angle between the wing chord and the
longitudinal axis of the fuselage. In figure 3-5C, the large arrow indicates
the relative wind, the direction of the airflow with reference to the moving
air foil. The angle of attack is the angle between the chord and the
direction of the relative wind.

In actual flight, a change

in the angle of attack will
change the airspeed. But if for
test purposes we maintain a
constant velocity of the
airstream while changing the
angle of attack, the results on
the nonsymmetrical wing will
be as shown in figure 3-6. The sketches show a wing section at various
angles of attack, and the effect these different angles have on the
resultant force and the position of the centre of pressure. The burble
point referred to in figure 3-6C and D is the point at which airflow over
the upper surface becomes rough, causing an uneven distribution of
pressure. Note that the centre of pressure changes with the angle of
attack.

The relative wind strikes the tilted surface, and as the air

flows around the wing, different amounts of lifting force are exerted on
various points on the air foil. The sum (resultant) of all these forces is
equivalent to a single force acting at a single point and in a particular
direction. This point is called the centre of pressure. From it, lift can be
considered to be directed perpendicular to the direction of the relative
wind.
The dynamic or impact force of the wind against the lower surface of
the air foil also contributes to lift, but no more than one-third of the total
lift effect is provided by this impact force.
Missile speeds are expressed in terms of Mach numbers rather than
in miles per hour or knots. The Mach number is the ratio of missile
11

speed to the local speed of sound. For example, if a missile is flying at

a speed equal to one half the local speed of sound, it is said to be
flying at Mach 0.5. If it
moves at twice the local
speed of sound, its speed is
then Mach 2. A missile
thrusting its way through the
atmosphere may be compared
to a boat pushing its way
through the water. You can
see the effect on water, so
picture the air waves the
same way. A boat moving
slowly through the water
gently pushes the water out
of the way, but if it speeds
up, the water is churned up
into rushing waves that
require increased thrust to
push through. An object
pushing through the air
produces small pressure
disturbances in the air, and
each pressure wave expands equally in all directions, moving at the
speed of sound. As long as the object is moving more slowly than the
air waves, there is no build-up of pressure waves, but as the speed
increases, the air waves begin to pile up in front of the object. When the
speed of the object reaches the speed of sound the pressure waves can
no longer outrun it, and the piled up airstream just ahead of the object
collides with the unmoved air farther ahead, which a moment before was
completely undisturbed. This causes a shock wave at the boundary
between the air stream and the undisturbed air. The air stream is
reduced in speed very rapidly and at the same time the pressure,
12

density, and temperature increase. A normal shock wave is usually very

strong, and the air passes through without changing direction

but

always changes from supersonic to subsonic velocity. In an oblique

shock wave the airstream changes direction upon passing through the
transition marked by the wave front. These waves are produced in
supersonic airstreams at the point of entry of wedge- shaped or other
sharply pointed bodies. The change in speed, density, pressures, and
temperature are generally less severe than with normal perpendicular
shock waves.
The stability of a missile is achieved by supersonic fins. Supersonic fins
are symmetrical in thickness cross section and have a small thickness
ratio - the ratio of the maximum thickness to the chord length. The
double wedge, shown in figure has the least drag for a given thickness
ratio, but in certain applications is inferior because it lacks strength. As
you saw in figure the air flows over and under a double wedge air foil
without developing a severe shock wave.
The modified double wedge has a relatively low drag (although its
drag is usually higher than a double wedge of the same thickness ratio)
and is stronger than the double wedge. The biconvex has about onethird more drag than a double wedge of the same thickness ratio. It is
the strongest of the three but is difficult to manufacture.
Supersonic fins are symmetrical in thickness cross section and have a
small thickness ratio - the ratio of the maximum thickness to the chord
length. The double wedge has the least drag for a given thickness ratio,
but in certain applications is inferior because it lacks strength. The air
flows over and under a double wedge air foil without developing a
severe shock wave.
The modified double
wedge has a relatively low
drag (although its drag is
usually higher than a double
wedge of the same thickness
13

ratio) and is stronger than the double wedge. The biconvex has about
one-third more drag than a double wedge of the same thickness ratio. It
is the strongest of the three but is difficult to manufacture.

The airframe of a
guided missile serves the
same purpose as the
airframe of the conventional
aircraft: it carries the
necessary components and
controls to ensure proper
flight. But, since the guided
missile is essentially a one-shot weapon, the body structure can be
simpler in structure than that of a conventional aircraft. Missile bodies
are designed so that inner components are readily available for
testing, removal, and repair. The major components are mounted to
form independent units. Adequate room is provided to permit slack in
electrical cables and harnesses so that inner sections can be
removed easily during maintenance.

Jet Propulsion of missile:

The principle of jet propulsion is based on Sir Isaac Newton's third law
of motion which states that "For every action there is an equal and
opposite reaction." The two most common methods by which we produce
thrust are by mechanical means (pumps or fans), and by thermal means
(chemical reaction).
The fire hose is an example of a mechanical jet. Another example of the
mechanical jet may be found in nature. The squid draws water into its
body and then by muscle contraction forces this water rearward through
a small opening at an increased velocity, thus propelling itself forward.
14

In guided missiles we are concerned with thermal jets - those that

operate by reaction to the exhaust of combustion gases. It is a common
misconception that a jet engine is dependent on the atmosphere to
obtain its thrust, or force, in the direction of motion. (Air- breathing jets
require air for oxygen to support combustion of the propellant.) Actually,
thrust is the reaction to the ejection of exhaust gases. If you take a fire
hose and direct the water stream against a wall, the reaction force
experienced is the same as if the wall were not there. To continue the
analogy, missile thrust is the same regardless of whether the missile is
in the
Atmosphere or in the vacuum of space. Jet engines are frequently called
reaction motors, since the exhaust gases produce the action while the
opposite motion of the missile or aircraft represents the reaction.

COMPONENTS OF JET PROPULSION SYSTEMS

To achieve high thrust, it is necessary to produce large quantities of
exhaust gases at high temperatures and pressures. To produce these
exhaust gases, jet propulsion systems consist of a combustion chamber,
an exhaust nozzle, and a fuel supply.

Exhaust Nozzle
An exhaust nozzle is a non-uniform chamber through which the
gases generated in the combustion chamber flow to the outside. Its most
important areas are the mouth, throat, and exit. These areas are
identified in figure. The function of the nozzle is to increase the velocity
of the gases. The principle involved was announced many years ago by
a Swiss physicist, Daniel Bernoulli. Bernoulli's principle applies to any
fluid (gas or liquid). It may be stated as follows: "Provided the weight
rate of flow of a fluid is constant, the speed of the fluid will increase
where there is convergence in the line.

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Combustion Chamber
The combustion chamber is that part of the system in which the
chemical action (combustion) takes place. Combustion is necessary to
provide thrust. Useful thrust cannot be attained in an atmospheric jet
unless the combustion
products are exhausted at a
velocity greater than that of
the intake gases (air). The
chamber is usually called a
cylinder, although it may have
the shape of a sphere. It must have the speed will increase up to the
speed of sound, depending on the degree of convergence. In the
divergent nozzle in figure 3-20B, gases at subsonic speeds will slow
down, depending on the degree of divergence. Gases at supersonic
(faster than sound) speed behave differently. As these gases pass
through the divergent nozzle, their velocity is INCREASED because of
their high state of compression. The drop in pressure at the point of
divergence causes an instantaneous release of kinetic energy. This
imparts additional speed to the gases. To obtain supersonic exhaust
velocity, the DeLaval nozzle is commonly used. This nozzle illustrates
this principle. The velocity of the fluid will increase at point 1. At the
point of divergence, point 2, the speed of the fluid will decrease. The
increase in speed between points 1 and 2 is caused by a conversion of
potential energy (fluid pressure) to kinetic energy. Thus, the pressure
drop of the fluid through the restriction is proportional to the velocity
gained. When the fluid reaches point 2, the kinetic energy is again
converted to potential energy. At point 2, the fluid velocity decreases,
and the pressure of the fluid increases. This relationship also holds true
for subsonic flow of gases. In the convergent nozzle in figure the first
converges to bring the subsonic flow up to the speed of sound. Then the
nozzle diverges, allowing the gases to expand and produce supersonic
16

flow. The Prandtl nozzle is more efficient than the straight-coned DeLaval
nozzle but is more difficult to engineer and produce. It increases the rate
of flow at a higher rate than the normal convergent-divergent type. The
shape of the nozzle determines the characteristic of the gas flow, which
must be smooth. Other nozzles of increasing importance are the
adjustable area type, in which the nozzle area is varied to suit varying
combustion environmental conditions. The best size for the nozzle throat
is different for different propellants. The nozzle must be designed for a
specific set of propellant and combustion characteristics to obtain higher
velocity and increased thrust.

Jet Fuel
Several means have been worked out for rating, or comparing, various
rocket fuels (propellants). Comparison is made by determining total
impulse. Total impulse is the product of the thrust in pounds times
burning time in seconds. Or,

IT (Total Impulse in lb-sec) = T (Thrust in lbs) x t (Duration in

sec).
Solid propellants are rated, or compared, on the basis of specific
impulse. Specific impulse is the amount of impulse produced by one
pound of the propellant.

17

Battle Management & Control

The battle management & control
unit acts as a link or intermediate
between the radar and the missile
launcher. It receives information from
the radar and traces the trajectory of
the incoming threat and calculates
the impact point.

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