Israel recently utilized its ship-based defense system, known as the C-Dome, to intercept a potentially threatening target that breached the nation’s airspace close to the southern city of Eilat, as announced by the military on Tuesday.
The C-Dome serves as a maritime adaptation of the Iron Dome air defense system, designed to protect against rocket and missile threats. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a warning on Monday night regarding a potential threat in the vicinity of Eilat. This area had previously been the target of intercepted ballistic missile attacks in February, launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who are aligned with Palestinian extremist group Hamas.
The C-Dome system is installed on Sa’ar 6-class corvettes, which are German-made warships, and it utilizes the same interceptor as the Iron Dome. Unlike the land-based Iron Dome, which is often deployed to intercept rockets launched from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, the C-Dome serves as a maritime defense system, safeguarding against rocket and missile threats at sea.
C-Dome consists of three main parts: TAMIR interceptors, a modular Vertical-Launch Unit (VLU), and a Command & Control (C2) component. By utilizing the ship’s surveillance radar for threat detection and tracking, there is no longer a requirement for a separate radar system.
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, an Israeli defense company, states on its website that their warhead is a cutting-edge technology designed to achieve a high kill probability against various targets. The C-Dome interceptor is remarkably agile and possesses a rapid rate-of-turn, allowing it to intercept even the most agile targets. With its state-of-the-art proximity fuse, the lethality of the warhead is maximized, guaranteeing the destruction of the intended target.
