The Iron Dome missile defense system has its origins in Israel’s 2006 war with the militant Hezbollah movement in Lebanon.
Thousands of rockets were fired at Israel by Hezbollah, causing massive damage and killing dozens of Israelis.
Israel announced the development of a new missile defense shield a year later.
It took years to develop the system, which went live in early 2011.
Since then, the Iron Dome system has been used to intercept rockets fired by Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups from the Gaza Strip.
The system uses radar to track incoming rockets before launching two interceptor missiles to destroy them.
How much does the Iron Dome Cost?
Each battery, or entire unit, can cost upwards of $50 million, with each interceptor Tamir missile costing around $80,000. A rocket, on the other hand, can be purchased for less than $1,000. Each rocket is intercepted by two Tamir missiles sent by the system.
