Intel: First Israeli Iron Dome battery arrives in US
A second Iron Dome battery is expected to arrive by the end of the year.
The first of two Israeli Iron Dome missile defense batteries arrived in the United States on Wednesday as part of a congressionally mandated purchase to fill a gap in the US military’s missile defense capabilities.
Israel’s Defense Ministry announced the delivery on Monday. A spokesperson for the US Army Futures Command did not immediately return a request for comment.
Why it matters: The US Congress mandated in its 2019 defense budget that the military obtain and field four mid-range air defense units to counter cruise missiles by the end of fiscal year 2023.
The United States has a wide array of missile defenses as well as counter-rocket, artillery and mortar units, but lacks systems that can also shoot down cruise missiles.
