Here’s how much Israel is spending on Iron Dome, the country’s best known air defence system | World News

Last few days have seen attacks and counter-attacks between Israel and Iran, which are expected to end with a ceasefire agreement, brokered US President Donald Trump, on Tuesday.
Israel has been involved in multiple conflicts — these include armed warfares with Palestinian militant groups Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, apart from those with Iran.
It has repeatedly used its expansive air defence systems to counter missile attacks from its enemies. Of them, Iron Dome is the best known.
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What is Iron Dome?
The Iron Dome is a short-range, ground-to-air, air defence system that includes a radar and interceptor missiles, which track and neutralise rockets or missiles fired at Israeli targets.
The genesis of the Iron Dome goes back to the 2006 Israeli-Lebanon war, when Hezbollah aimed thousands of rockets into Israel. Just the following year, Israel announced that its state-run Rafael Advance Systems would come up with a new air defence system to protect its cities and people. It was developed with Israel Aerospace Industries and the Iron Dome was deployed in 2011.
How does Iron Dome work?
Iron Dome is used for countering rockets, artillery & mortars (C-RAM) as well as aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles.
Iron Dome detects and tracks incoming rockets with radar and calculates which ones are likely to reach populated areas. It then fires missiles at these rockets, leaving the others to fall on open ground.Story continues below this ad
The IDF claimed that Iron Dome destroys 90% of the rockets it targets.
What is Iron Dome equipped with and how much does it cost Israel?
Iron Dome batteries are installed all across Israel. A single Iron Dome battery is equipped with three to four missile launchers, each of which contains up to 20 Tamir interceptor missiles. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank, “Tamir” interceptors of the Iron Dome cost about $40,000 to $50,000 each.
What was Israel’s defence expenditure in 2024?
In 2024, Israel spent about 100 billion shekels ($28 billion) on various military conflicts, news agency Reuters reported in January. This had shot up the government’s borrowing and the nation’s debt burden.