Iron Dome Intercepts First Enemy Rocket

Developed by the Israeli company, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, with financial assistance from the US government, Iron Dome is a defensive missile battery designed to intercept and destroy enemy rockets and artillery projectiles. Its first successful interception takes place above Ashkelon, Israel, when it destroys a Grad rocket fired from Gaza towards this small coastal city. Since then, it has intercepted thousands of rockets shot from the Gaza strip into Israel, most notably during the 2012 operation “Pillar of Defense” and the 2014 operation “Protective Edge.”