ADME Conference: One Step Ahead
This post is also available in: 
עברית (Hebrew)
When it comes to air defense, you have to be one step ahead of your opponent, quickly adapting to changing situtions
At the beginning of operation Pillar of Defense four Iron Dome missile batteries were active, with a fifth completing its last stages of evaluation and testing in the south. The fifth battery was different in terms of software and was considered to be experimental. When there was an immediate need to protect Tel Aviv, however, the battery was moved to the north in order to block any rockets launched by Hamas.
Yair Ramati, chief of the Homa Directorate at the Ministry of Defense, gave this case as an example of the quick changes happening in the Middle East, and how Israel constantly adapts itself to them.
Ramati addressed the ADME Conference in Tel Aviv – Air Defense in the Modern Era – organized by INSS and the iHLS news website. According to him Israel has to remain one step ahead of its enemies in this ongong technological arms race. He pointed to the David’s Sling defense system as an example – already tested successfully and soon to be operational. Ramati lauded the cooperation between the IDF and the defense industries and between Israel and the U.S.
iHLS – Israel Homeland Security
Maj. Gen. Yair Naveh, former IDF Vice Chief of Staff, went into detail about some of the future threats faced by Israel:
- By 2016 we’ll see more precise missile and rocket warheads
- Warheads will feature more explosives – 700 kilograms and even a ton
- Enemies will launch hundreds of rockets and missiles every day
- Cruise missiles and UAVs will be a threat
- Attacks might come from several directions simultaneosly
According to Naveh Israel’s goals for the next few years are:
- Achieving full coverage by air defense systems, protecting the entire country
- Defending large population centers and critical infrastructure
- The IDF must achieve the capability to respond continusly to threats, destroying enemies who target the Israeli home front over prolonged periods of time
