Article

2009-03-27 Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Israel successfully tests Iron Dome rocket defense system

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Posted by Fred 2009-03-27 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11131 views ] Top

#1 $100,000 missiles vs a $20 mortars or $100 Qassams? Are the Israelis hedging against national bankruptcy by selling Anti-missile Default Swaps?

Posted by ed 2009-03-27 00:22|| 2009-03-27 00:22|| Front Page Top

#2 Word, ed.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2009-03-27 00:37|| 2009-03-27 00:37|| Front Page Top

#3 Money is cheaper than being vulnerable. Economies of scale and what not. Besides, killing the dream of resistance is half the battle. Shoot it down.

Posted by rammer">rammer 2009-03-27 01:11|| 2009-03-27 01:11|| Front Page Top

#4 Good point there rammer.

Posted by Hellfish 2009-03-27 08:47|| 2009-03-27 08:47|| Front Page Top

#5 The trade-off isn't a $100,000 missile defense against a $100 Qassam. The trade-off is against the damage a Qassam causes. How much is a room full of school kids worth? A blown-up grocery store?

Plus I suspect the Israelis will find a working missile defense comes in quite handy in the near future.

Posted by SteveS 2009-03-27 14:36|| 2009-03-27 14:36|| Front Page Top

#6 $100,000 missiles vs a $20 mortars or $100 Qassams?

Where are you getting your prices from?

Posted by Pappy 2009-03-27 14:42|| 2009-03-27 14:42|| Front Page Top

#7 Shoulda called it "Chrome Dome"...

Posted by mojo 2009-03-27 14:57|| 2009-03-27 14:57|| Front Page Top

#8 $100,000 - An examination of the economic aspect also casts grave doubts on the decision to choose Iron Dome. The cost of each intercept missile will probably be about $100,000. (Rafael claims the cost of a missile will be about $40,000, but given the cost of similar missiles, that does not seem reasonable.)

$100 - In addition to development, the cost of one disposable component the interceptor makes daily operation prohibitively expensive. The original estimated cost of $25,000 for one interceptor missile has crept steadily up. When compared to the cost of the crude Qassam missiles that Iron Dome shoots down a mere $100 the project's operational costs seem exorbitant.

$20 - From smallwarsjournal.com ppt presentation on Iraq black market prices 10/2003:

there is a vibrant international black market for the missiles in which an Sa-7 can fetch as ... terrorists of using Iraq public market as a weapons source.
Weapon 10/03 ... Market price ... CDI Buyout price.
RPG-7 rockets $20 $25.
C-4 / military TNT block 1kg $50 $200
60mm mortar tube $1000 $3000
60mm mortar $10 $20
82mm mortar $20 $50
107mm rocket $200 $400
122mm Artillery Shell $100 $750

Posted by ed 2009-03-27 15:31|| 2009-03-27 15:31|| Front Page Top

#9 First off, I think they should have used a gun-based system in addition to a missile system.

Something like Centurion, that's available more or less off the shelf, and doesn't need a huge network (although a network would probably be helpful).

They could just put up a couple of those units first and then worry about working them into a network later.

Second, They could have also found a cheaper missile than whatever they used; I think the cost of the British starstreak is much cheaper, but I can't find a figure now.

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2009-03-27 18:13|| 2009-03-27 18:13|| Front Page Top

#10 How much would an ArcLight run over Gaza in response to a mortar attack cost? How many times would it need to be repeated? Could we loan them the B-52's if Israel provides the iron?

Posted by Glenmore 2009-03-27 22:12|| 2009-03-27 22:12|| Front Page Top

#11 Thanks, ed.

Posted by Pappy 2009-03-27 22:30|| 2009-03-27 22:30|| Front Page Top

23:34 JosephMendiola
23:26 JosephMendiola
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23:14 Thing From Snowy Mountain
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23:08 Gluting Fillmore6653
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