Newsweek:

The images of Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system deployed against thousands of Hamas rockets fired from Gaza, which dominated the news cycle this month, made clear that effective missile defense is a matter of life and death.

Developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems with technical and financial assistance from the United States, Iron Dome has a remarkable success rate of 80-90 percent. Despite the reported sticker price of $62,000 per interceptor, few Israeli taxpayers believe this is money ill spent.

While Iron Dome is designed to engage short-range threats fired from across the border, American systems must be able to defend from missile attacks worldwide. The U.S. Missile Defense Agency achieves layered defense through sensory arrays, ground-based interceptors and sea-based Aegis systems. Interceptors like the Patriot MIM-104 missile battery and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense are positioned where they can intercept long-range threats from intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in early flight…



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