Article Posted on : - Apr 05, 2011

JERUSALEM (BNS): Israel has deployed another Iron Dome battery in the south as part of an operational trial to test its effectiveness against rocket fire.

The second Iron Dome battery was deployed south of Ashkelon and the first battery in the Be'er Sheba region last month.

The current deployment of the two Iron Dome batteries in the South was part of an operational evaluation that the IAF’s Air Defence Division is conducting before declaring the system combat-ready, a media report quoting Israel Defence Forces (IDF) sources said.

The Iron Dome anti-rocket system is capable of identifying and destroying such projectiles before they land in Israeli territory. It will be used to defend Israel against the threat posed by rockets and mortar shells.

Israel plans to increase the number of operational batteries to six in the coming years, the report added.