The US has an Iron Dome system ready if Ukraine requests it for use to defend itself against Russian missiles, US Army Space and Missile Defense Commanding General Lt.-Gen. Daniel Karbler told the Senate last week.
Meanwhile, Ukraine blasted Israel for sending high-ranking Foreign Ministry diplomats to Moscow, saying on Monday that Jerusalem is “having business as usual with the Russian war criminals.”
In a meeting of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces about missile defense issues, Senator Angus King of Maine asked why Iron Dome has not been deployed in Ukraine.
Developing the Iron Dome
“We helped pay for it,” King said. “We sent something like $3 billion to Israel to develop it… Wouldn’t this be a very important resource for the Ukrainians since their principal problem right now is missile defense?”
The Iron Dome air and missile defense system was developed by Israeli defense company Rafael, commissioned by the Israeli government, which initially funded its development and the deployment of the first two systems. The US contributed $2.6b. to the Iron Dome project since its deployment in 2011, allowing for the production of additional systems and interception missiles. Rafael and US-based Raytheon co-produce components of intercepting missiles for the US, which has two Iron Dome systems.
The Iron Dome air defense missile systems is seen during operational trials conducted following the conclusion Operation Shield and Arrow on May 14, 2023 (credit: DEFENSE MINISTRY)Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy John Plumb responded to King that the US is aiding Ukraine in its war effort with “things we can supply from our own stock,” such as Patriot missile batteries.
“We made a significant investment in missile defense and encourage our allies to do the same,” Plumb said. “I am not aware of an Iron Dome system being offered to Ukraine.”
Karbler, however, said that the US has “two Iron Dome batteries right now. One completed new equipment training, new equipment fielding. It is prepared for deployment. The other one is wrapping up its new equipment training right now.
“So the army does have one [Iron Dome battery] available for deployment if we get a request from it,” from Ukraine.As the main producer of the Iron Dome systems, Israel would have to grant permission for the US to send it to any other country.
Israel’s permission is needed
The Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment as to whether Karbler’s remarks indicate that Israel has allowed the Iron Dome to be sent to Ukraine.
Israel has not provided Ukraine with defensive weapons, despite requests from Kyiv. Jerusalem has generally said that, while it opposes Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it does not want to threaten its deconfliction mechanism with Moscow, which allows the Israel Air Force to strike Iranian targets near its northern border unimpeded by the Russian military, which maintains a presence in Syria. Israel has sent humanitarian aid and contributed and allowed the export of missile and drone attack warning systems to Ukraine.
Iron Dome, specifically, has been the subject of mixed messages from Ukraine, with Ukrainian Ambassador Yevgen Korniychuk saying last year that “we need Iron Dome… which will allow us to save our civilian women and children from the shelling of the Russian missiles in our territory.” However, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said that “Iron Dome does not protect against cruise and ballistic missiles.”
In addition to Iron Dome defending mostly against short-range rockets and artillery shells, there are only about 12 batteries in the world, roughly 10 in Israel – the Defense Ministry does not divulge the exact number – and another two in the US. The 10 in Israel do not actually cover the entire country and they are, at times, moved to different locations that are expected to be attacked. Ukraine is 11 times larger than Israel, such that one Iron Dome battery will protect very little of the country.
A senior Ukrainian diplomatic official sharply criticized Israel on Monday, following a May 5 meeting in Moscow between Foreign Ministry Deputy Director-General for Strategic Affairs Joshua Zarka and Deputy Director-General for Euro-Asia Simona Halperin with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.
The sides primarily discussed the Iranian nuclear threat and diplomacy related to the currently-defunct Iran nuclear deal, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry. Jerusalem confirmed the meeting took place but would not provide further details.
The senior official said Kyiv is “deeply disappointed by the exchange of visits by the Israeli and Russian [foreign ministry] officials while Russia is butchering our citizens.
“We are being attacked by terrorists that are steadily supported by the Russia-Iran alliance, and yet, Israeli officials keep having business as usual with the Russian war criminals,” the source said. “Israel has to decide if it is a part of the Western world and stands besides Ukraine or whether it embraces the world’s dark forces. Neutrality is not an option.”
“As a nation that is also attacked by terror funded by Iran, we expect Israel not to be the only Western country with strong ties with Russia,” the Ukrainian senior diplomatic official added.
The Foreign Ministry declined to respond to the Ukrainian remarks.
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