Australia weighs Israeli Iron Dome interceptors; air defence shield by early 2030s

Australia is considering acquiring missile interceptors developed for Israel’s Iron Dome as part of efforts to establish an air defence system, officials told a parliamentary committee on Thursday.Defence officials said Australia aimed to have a ground-based missile defence system in place by the early 2030s, citing lessons from rapidly changing warfare in Ukraine and the Middle East.The options under discussion include the US Patriot missile defence system and interceptor missiles developed by Israeli defence company Rafael Advanced Defence Systems for Iron Dome.The interceptors have recently been used in a new system developed for the US Marine Corps and are jointly manufactured with US company Raytheon, AFP reported.The Iron DomeIsrael’s Iron Dome is a short- to medium-range air defence system developed by Israeli defence company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

According to Rafael, the system has recorded more than 10,000 successful interceptions since 2011, with a success rate exceeding 90 per cent. It is designed to intercept a range of aerial threats, including rockets, artillery shells, mortars, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The company says the system can operate in different weather conditions and respond to multiple incoming threats simultaneously.Iron Dome system is part of a wider family of air defence systems that includes C-Dome, its naval variant, and I-Dome, a mobile configuration.

These systems are designed to protect civilian population centres, military forces, maritime assets and strategic infrastructure.According to the company, Iron Dome’s architecture can be integrated with other sensors and command-and-control systems as part of a layered air defence network. Rafael also says the United States Marine Corps selected the system to strengthen its expeditionary air defence capabilities.Truck-mounted, medium-range interceptors were tested by the US Marines in Guam in June during a regional military exercise that Australia also participated in, AFP reported.Australia does not supply weapons to Israel, and potential purchases of Israeli defence equipment have come under political scrutiny.“The government will always seek to deliver the most suitable military technology,” government minister Murray Watt told the committee when asked about the issue.Air Marshal Robert Chipman said the defence force would make recommendations to the government next year following a competitive selection process linked to the Talisman Sabre military exercise in 2027.