Israel's Iron Dome Vs S-400 Russian Comparison, Price, Success Rate | Iron Dome vs S400 which is better

What is S-400 Defense System?

S-400 which was previously known as S-300PMU-3 is an anti-aircraft weapon system of Russia that was developed in 1990 by the Russia Almaz Central Design Bureau.

The s400 missile system has been in service since 2007. The first buyer of the S-400 missile system works was China in 2014. Russia completes delivery of second S-400 missile system regimental set to China 

what is the Iron Dome defense system?

Iron Dome is an air defense system of Israel that was developed by Rafael's advanced defense system and Israel's aerospace industries. 

The iron dome system was designed to intercept and destroy shorter and rockets and artillery shells that perform 4 kilometers to 70 kilometers away. The iron dome initially deploys in 2011.

It has a Tamir interceptor and a radar. This radar helps in tracking and destroying any missile or any airborne system that will enter the airspace.

The system has the capability to identify and destroy such a project before the land of Israel territory and is now one of the most effective anti-missile systems in the world. 

Success Rate of Iron Dome

Rafael claims a success rate of over 90%, with more than 2,000 interceptions, however, experts agree the success rate is over 80%.

The success rate achieved by the Iron Dome missile defense system in intercepting Hamas' rocket attacks has been over 90%. One third of the 250+ rockets fired by Hamas since yesterday fell inside the Gaza Strip, killing and injuring Palestinians. #GuardiansOfTheWalls pic.twitter.com/17OMS0AO5a

— Ofir Gendelman (@ofirgendelman) May 11, 2021

The iron dome missile defense system has three components 

1. The design and tracking radar 
2. The battle management and 
3. The weapon control system the missile firing unit.

Iron doms rocket cost about $20,000 is and fire from the team-operated battery and injected with battery diploid radar-guided early warning system, the iron dome relies on high-resolution electronically scan array radar to detect and track upcoming missile.

According to the estimate in 2021, the Palestine militant group had the original about 30,000 rockets and mortar bombs in Gaza.

Read The S-400 Missile System  India - Russia  Relation

Funding of Iron Dome

Initial funding and development for the iron dome system were provided by Israel. Along with funding for supplying is been provided by the United State.

In May 2010 US President Barack Obama 205 million dollar budget tools for the production and development of iron dome batteries. Again in 2012 test date sanction 680 million dollars for the iron dome.

Since 2011 United States invested around 900 million dollars for technology sharing available for the production of the iron dome in the United State.

Iron Dome vs S400 which is better?

S-400 is a top-of-the-line SAM designed to shoot down maneuvering top-of-the-line fighters.

Iron dome shoots a very average missile that was made to be as cost-efficient as possible against 1m long explosive cans flying in a parabolic path. 

The specialty of the S-400 that it can shoot down a plane from 100s of kilometers (as advertised).

The specialty of the Iron Dome is that it can detect a missile fired from 4 km away or less without warning, analyze its course, determine if it’s a threat if so sound an alarm, and intercept it with a 90%+ success rate within the available 15 seconds of its flight.

Limitations of Iron Dome

The system has performed very well so far. However, the system can see limitations when it is overwhelmed with a barrage of projectiles. “The system has a ‘saturation point. It is capable of engaging a certain (unpublished) number of targets at the same time, and no more. Additional rockets fired in a crowded salvo could succeed in breaching defenses and cause damage.

Several assessments suggest that Hamas is developing mitigating strategies including lowering the trajectories of the projectiles while also continuing to accumulate thousands of rockets with improved precision.

How much does it cost?

Each battery, or the full unit, can cost over $50 million, and one interceptor Tamir missile costs around $80,000. In contrast, a rocket can cost less than $1,000. The system dispatches two Tamir missiles to intercept each rocket.

It is not a good measure to judge cost-effectiveness. “If I have to take… rockets, which cost very little, and I am firing any missile, then it’s an expensive exercise.”

But it proves a deterrent, he said. Cost-effectiveness is each life saved. The second is about the morale of the nation in not being intimidated by rockets.

Iron Dome for India?

Many strategic and military experts in India have been toying with the idea of the country engaging the successful Israeli Iron Dome system. 

The employability of the system in a country like India has been debated for many years in the backdrop of the joint threat from China and its ‘iron brother’ Pakistan. There are conflicting perspectives on whether India should procure such a system.

The Eurasian Times spoke to Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retd) about the feasibility of such a system for the country, who said, “Iron Dome is a very good system since it has got both Israeli and American technologies.

But the problem is that we have already chosen two other systems, i.e. S-400 and NASAMS of the Americans. Also, we are working with Israelis on Barak-8, going for Iron Dome now does not make sense. If we had chosen Iron Dome in place of other systems, then it would have been a different game.”

AKASH -

AKASH is a Short Range Surface to Air Missile System to protect vulnerable areas and vulnerable points from air attacks. 

AKASH Weapon System can simultaneously engage Multiple Targets in Group Mode or Autonomous Mode. 

It has built-in Electronic Counter-Counter Measures (ECCM) features. The entire weapon system has been configured on mobile platforms.