Israel’s Iron Dome is one of the world’s premier air defense systems. It was first put into service to protect land-based targets more than a decade ago. Now, the technology behind it is scoring kills at sea too.
The C-Dome is the naval version of the Iron Dome. It uses advanced radars and sensors to identify, track and intercept aerial threats. It can also be programmed to ignore threats that aren’t going to hit anything critical.
The Israeli Navy installed C-Domes on its four modern Sa’ar 6-class corvettes and deployed the vessels to the Red Sea and Mediterranean. Corvettes are naval ships that are smaller and more maneuverable than frigates or destroyers, and they are typically used for patrolling coastlines.
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One of the C-Domes on those corvettes scored the system’s first combat interception in April. It was an unmanned aerial vehicle downed over the Red Sea, likely fired by the Houthis in Yemen.
Israel’s Sa’ar 6 corvettes are seeing plenty of action as the Israel Defense Forces continue to battle Hamas terrorists in Gaza, prepare for a larger fight with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria, while also defending against aerial attacks from the Houthis and other Iranian-backed proxies — not to mention Iran itself.
With so many outside threats, Israel’s air defense systems need to be exceptional.
Rafael, the company that makes the Iron Dome and C-Dome systems, said they each serve as critical layers in Israel’s overall air defense array. To date, the Iron Dome is responsible for more than 6,000 combat interceptions, including everything from mortars to rockets, missiles and drones.
Much like the land-based Iron Dome, the C-Dome can intercept a variety of threats, bringing versatility in defending potential targets at sea. It can intercept rockets, cruise missiles, sea-skimming missiles, helicopters and drones.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the C-Dome is its modularity; any vessel with enough deck space could carry the C-Dome and immediately integrate a top-of-the-line air defense system into the ship without the need to punch holes in the hull or retrofit the deck.
It’s entirely possible, or even likely, the U.S. Navy will look to the C-Dome as a possible solution for some of its own defensive needs. In the era of Great Power Competition — with a conflict between China and/or Russia on the horizon — proven, effective, and adaptable air defense systems are going to be worth their weight in gold.
This is why the U.S. Marine Corps bought dozens of Iron Dome systems from Rafael and plans to put them on as many small islands as possible in the Pacific.
ISRAEL’S IRON DOME IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S PREMIER AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS. IT STARTED PROTECTING LAND-BASED TARGETS MORE THAN A DECADE AGO. NOW, THE TECH BEHIND IT IS SCORING KILLS AT SEA TOO.
THE C-DOME IS THE NAVAL VERSION OF THE IRON DOME. IT USES ADVANCED RADARS AND SENSORS TO IDENTIFY, TRACK, AND INTERCEPT AERIAL THREATS, AND CAN BE PROGRAMMED TO IGNORE THREATS THAT AREN’T GOING TO HIT ANYTHING CRITICAL.
THE ISRAELI NAVY INSTALLED C-DOMES ON ITS FOUR MODERN SA’AR 6 CORVETTES AND DEPLOYED THE VESSELS TO THE RED SEA AND MEDITERRANEAN. CORVETTES ARE NAVAL SHIPS THAT ARE SMALLER AND MORE MANEUVERABLE THAN FRIGATES OR DESTROYERS, AND ARE TYPICALLY USED FOR PATROLLING COASTLINES
ONE OF THE C-DOMES ON THOSE CORVETTES SCORED THE SYSTEM’S FIRST COMBAT INTERCEPTION BACK IN APRIL. IT WAS AN UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE DOWNED OVER THE RED SEA, LIKELY FIRED BY THE HOUTHIS IN YEMEN.
ISRAEL’S SA’AR 6 CORVETTES ARE SEEING PLENTY OF ACTION AS THE IDF CONTINUES TO BATTLE HAMAS TERRORISTS IN GAZA, PREPARES FOR A LARGER FIGHT WITH HEZBOLLAH IN LEBANON AND SYRIA, WHILE ALSO DEFENDING AGAINST AERIAL ATTACKS FROM THE HOUTHIS AND OTHER IRANIAN-BACKED PROXIES–NOT TO MENTION IRAN ITSELF.
WITH SO MANY OUTSIDE THREATS, ISRAEL’S AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS NEED TO BE EXCEPTIONAL. THE COMPANY THAT MAKES THE IRON DOME AND C-DOME SYSTEMS, RAFAEL, SAYS THEY EACH SERVE AS CRITICAL LAYERS IN ISRAEL’S OVERALL AIR-DEFENSE ARRAY. AND TO DATE, THE IRON DOME IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MORE THAN 6,000 COMBAT INTERCEPTIONS–EVERYTHING FROM MORTARS TO ROCKETS, MISSILES AND DRONES.
AND MUCH LIKE THE LAND-BASED IRON DOME IS ABLE TO INTERCEPT A HOST OF THREATS, THE C-DOME BRINGS THAT SAME SORT OF VERSATILITY IN DEFENDING POTENTIAL TARGETS AT SEA. IT CAN INTERCEPT ROCKETS, CRUISE MISSILES, LOW-FLYING SEA-SKIMMING MISSILES AND DRONES.
BUT ONE OF THE MOST INTRIGUING ASPECTS OF THE C-DOME, AT LEAST FOR ME, IS
IT CAN ALSO BE MODULARIZED; MEANING ANY VESSEL WITH ENOUGH DECK SPACE COULD CARRY THE C-DOME AND IMMEDIATELY INTEGRATE A TOP-OF-THE-LINE AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM INTO THE SHIP WITHOUT THE NEED TO PUNCH HOLES IN THE HULL OR RETROFIT THE DECK.
IT’S ENTIRELY POSSIBLE, OR EVEN LIKELY, THE U.S. NAVY WILL LOOK TO THE C-DOME AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION FOR SOME OF ITS OWN DEFENSIVE NEEDS. IN THE ERA OF GREAT POWER COMPETITION–WITH A CONFLICT BETWEEN CHINA AND/OR RUSSIA ON THE HORIZON–PROVEN, EFFECTIVE, AND ADAPTABLE AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS ARE GOING TO BE WORTH THEIR WEIGHT IN GOLD.
WHICH IS WHY THE U.S. MARINE CORPS BOUGHT DOZENS OF IRON DOME SYSTEMS FROM RAFAEL, AND PLANS TO PUT THEM ON AS MANY SMALL ISLANDS AS POSSIBLE IN THE PACIFIC.
FOR MORE OF OUR REPORTING ON THE ISRAELI WAR OR THE U.S. EFFORTS TO PREPARE FOR GREAT POWER COMPETITION BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP, OR GO TO SAN.COM.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M RYAN ROBERTSON.
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