Iron Dome combines a radar, a battle management and command-and-control system, launchers, and Tamir interceptors. The radar detects and tracks an incoming projectile; the battle management system assesses its projected path and whether it threatens a defended area. If the trajectory calls for an engagement, the system can direct a Tamir interceptor toward it. Projectiles assessed to fall outside defended areas, including in open ground or at sea, can be left alone.
Radar tracks the incoming projectile
The ELM-2084 Multi-Mission Radar, made by IAI’s ELTA division, is one radar used with Iron Dome. IAI describes it as a mobile S-band radar with an electronically steered array, used for air defense, surveillance, and artillery weapon location. It tracks aerial targets and supports the engagement process; the available technical description does not justify assigning it a fixed target capacity or a single detection range for every scenario. IAI’s ELM-2084 description identifies its role and modes.
Battle management selects engagements
Radar tracking alone does not mean an interceptor is launched at every detected object. Iron Dome uses selective defense: Rafael says the system distinguishes threats projected to hit a defended area from those expected to fall in open areas or the sea, limiting unnecessary launches. The decision therefore depends on the expected impact area, not simply on whether a rocket crossed the radar’s field of view. This engagement logic preserves interceptors for projectiles assessed to threaten people or protected assets. Rafael’s Iron Dome system description explains selective engagement and the battery’s components.
Tamir attempts the interception
When an engagement is ordered, a launcher fires a Tamir interceptor. Rafael identifies Tamir as the interceptor used by Iron Dome and describes its warhead as detonating the target warhead in the air. The company does not disclose all guidance and fuzing details on its public system page, so precise claims about seeker type, fuze design, or a guaranteed hit probability should not be inferred from it. The outcome depends on the full chain: detection, tracking, threat assessment, launch, and the interceptor’s engagement.
The three components serve different functions: radar supplies tracks, battle management chooses whether an engagement is warranted, and Tamir carries out the attempted intercept. The system’s selective approach is especially relevant during barrages, when many projectiles may be detected but only a portion are assessed to threaten defended areas. For dated examples and careful interpretation of reported rates, see Iron Dome’s combat performance and metrics.