Iron Dome

As Fajr V rockets rained down on Israel from battleground Gaza for a week, many Indian defence planners were keeping a close watch on the performance of Israel’s Iron Dome, which is probably the only deterrent to these homegrown short range missiles.
It was not just out of curiosity regarding one of the most effective systems against rockets, but also because of the possibility of India building an indigenous version of Iron Dome.
Several months ago, military scientists in the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) had suggested that India look at a joint development programme with Israeli firms to develop an Indian version of Iron Dome, touted as the most effective system against short-range missiles. Indian scientists believe Israel’s plight has several parallels to its threat from Pakistan. Pakistani terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) could well acquire similar capabilities that could threaten large groups of Indian population.
The Iron Dome, according to reports, intercepted 87% of the rockets fired at Israel by the Hamas. The system is believed to have the capability to shoot down rockets and artillery shells with ranges of up to 70 km. The system has been shown to be effective against rockets or shells that might target populated areas.
Unlike ballistic missiles, against which DRDO claims to have a fairly good shield, there is almost no protection against short-range rockets or artillery fire. DRDO is currently collaborating with Israeli firms to develop medium range surface to air missiles. However, Iron Dome is in a different class altogether, Israeli diplomatic sources argue.
Another reason why some defence planners are pushing for it is the possibility of another conflict with Pakistan. Pakistan has developed a nuclear weapons, like the Nasr, which is a solid fuelled battlefield range ballistic missile.
While Pakistani analysts say this was developed in anticipation of India’s supposed Cold Start doctrine, some Indian sources say the Iron Dome might be an effective deterrent against this weapon.
Sources said there have been some discussions between DRDO and its Israeli counterparts for a possible joint development of Iron Dome for India.