Here's How the Rocket Defense System Works, and the Ways It Has - and Hasn't - Changed the Conflict You’ve probably seen the videos: dark skies illuminated by exploding balls of light, resembling alien spaceships in battle, or a terrifying fireworks display accompanied by air raid sirens. This is the perspective of Israel’s Iron Dome, the country’s aerial defense system used to intercept incoming short-range rockets. The escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militia that controls Gaza, has provided a new glimpse of the Iron Dome in action. The Iron Dome, developed by Israeli firms Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries with some US assistance, went operational in 2011. The Iron Dome, one of the world’s most advanced defense systems, employs radar to detect and destroy incoming threats before they cause harm. As per Israeli officials, it is about 90% effective at blocking short-range rockets used by Hamas and other groups in the r...