Iron Dome Revisited
I have a piece at Open Zion on new skepticism about the effectiveness of Iron Dome:
Keeping all this in mind, we should take care in assessing claims about Iron Dome without having all of the evidence. Postol may be wrong, and the Israelis may have good data demonstrating the effectiveness of the system at the publicly stated intercept rates. Given the history of missile defense deception and the strong Israeli incentives to deceive, however, the people who pay for the system should be asking hard questions about how well it really works.
Wait for the David Sling, the Iron Dome II, upgraded.
Is that Iron Dome II, Electric Boogaloo?
I see from comments over there that Farley is part of a consorted [sic] campaign by US defense contractors to badmouth Israeli weapons.
The obvious question: do US defense contractors pay as well as the government of Malaysia?
They certainly have better taste. Why hire some awful hack to write for you, when you can just hire half(at least) of Senate!
I guess it’s a weapon designed against crappy rockets in permanent military occupations. Definite limited utility even when effective.
Do I understand the arithmetic correctly: they fling sub-thousand dollar dumb, occasionally deadly rockets out of Gaza and the IDF tries shooting each down with a $40k guided missile? For how long does that pencil out?
For as long as their soda cans are red, white and blue ones?
mmmmm Cake.
No, Papsi.
How long can you lobby the US congress to keep stuffing cash into Israeli defense contractors’ pockets?
I particularly like the person who implies that Postol is a hypocrite based on a November 2012 article where he says things like these:
“It appears to work very well…”
“It’s supposed to defend…”
“I don’t have primary knowledge…”
Apparently, changing your mind on any issue ever is something no intellectually honest person would do.
“When my information changes, I alter my conclusions. What do you do, sir?”
See also: the Iraq War retrospectives.
The linked commenter does not know how to correctly use semicolons.
Iron Dome, first of all, is military pork. Close run second raison d’être is that Israel desires a consequence free invasion of Lebanon to the Litani river. Hezbollah’s longer range rockets are able to reach materially significant parts of Israel. A real no-holds barred invasion would invite meaningful retaliation that would have internal political repercussions, particularly within the military. An Iron Dome that could be got to work is not only profitable to the defense contractors (who could sell it to third countries), but also could change the dynamics of a second war to the north.
I like to imagine if this were Canada lobbing rockets into New York and how cavalier we would all be about how it was really no big deal since they didn’t have any guidance systems and were sooo….low tech….so it really doesn’t matter
Aw, does the impotent loserbaby want attention?
Are we extending Buffalo into Canadian territory with the force of our military and brutally oppressing Canadians who aren’t happy about it in this analogy?
Don’t give Jenny any ideas.
The experience would be novel and probably terrifying.
Well, it’s not like haven’t tried to invade Canada. Twice, actually.
I like to imagine bike rides on summer days with my kid, or going to the beach, or things like that. I can’t imagine ever writing the sentence “I like to imagine if this were Canada lobbing rockets into New York…”
You are a sad, scared little man, and I genuinely feel sorry for you.
I like to imagine pancakes.
I will not have a maple syrup gap!!!
Canada repeatedly lobbed Maurice Richard into New York, with devastating, if localized, results.
Wins the thread; hogging is sadly missed here.
Um, your point is that if we faced a perceived existential threat, we would be less concerned that our highly touted defense technology might in fact be mostly useless? I’d have thought we’d care even more about an accurate assessment of Iron Dome’s effectiveness, if we were ourselves reliant on it …
Hasbara, how the hell are ya?
“Sixth-tier”? Geez, you should be able to find at least a fourth-tier school with your publications.
I guess if Calipari’s crew doesn’t improve next year they will move down to 8th tier or so.