Two Iron Dome batteries have been deployed in northern Israel over the past few days, the IDF said on Sunday. One battery of the missile-defense system was deployed in the Krayot area, while the other was installed in the Galilee region.
Additional, fully operational batteries have already been deployed in the Haifa are and in other locations.
About a week ago the security establishment successfully tested an upgraded version of the Iron Dome rocket defense system in Israel's central region.
The upgrades are designed to give the Iron Dome "improved capabilities against an unprecedented range of threats," the Defense Ministry said. "The test, which was completed successfully, will lead to an upgrade in Iron Dome's operational capabilities."
The upgraded system is capable of intercepting projectiles with a longer range, have a quicker response time and can deal with a number of salvoes simultaneously.
It remains unclear how long the Iron Dome batteries will remain deployed in the north at a time when Israel is closely monitoring the situation in Syria for fear that its chemical weapons stockpile will be transferred to Hezbollah.
The Iron Dome system's success rate during Operation Pillar of Defensein November was 85%. Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. is expected to provide the army with a sixth Iron Dome battery. The IDF is expected to get two additional operational batteries this year. The army's goal is to have 10 Iron Dome batteries within the next few years.
Iron Dome systems have already been installed in the south and the Tel Aviv metropolitan area.
Ynet News
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