U.S. Marine Corps Iron Dome Battery Completes First Live-Fire Exercise
The United States Marine Corps has completed its first live-fire exercise with its SkyHunter air defense system, the United States’ version of the Iron Dome.
During the exercise, the system was fully controlled by Marine operators, successfully shooting down targets and demonstrating the Marine Corps-specific mobile launcher’s ability to continuously launch interceptor missiles during an engagement.
In a press release, Iron Dome developer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems said the success of the system in the exercise was a significant milestone towards the operationalization of the Marine Corps’ first prototype SkyHunter battery. According to Rafael, the system used during the exercise used an American radar and command-and-control center, linked to a mobile launcher for standard Iron Dome interceptor missiles.
The Marine Corps is procuring SkyHunter under the Medium Range Intercept Capability cruise missile defense program, with the system also intended to provide air defense against other manned and unmanned aerial targets. The first SkyHunter battery is expected to be delivered to the 1st Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion in Hawaii in June 2025.
“Iron Dome is a system with extensive operational experience, boasting thousands of successful interceptions over more than a decade. The Iron Dome system continues to save lives, even now, during the ‘Operation Iron Swords’ conflict,” said Moshe Patel, head of the Israel Missile Defense Organization at the Israel Ministry of Defense. “The U.S. Marine Corps live-fire exercise is yet further proof of the Iron Dome interceptor’s capability, along with its ground system, to rapidly and effectively integrate with any relevant air defense system and intercept a variety of aerial threats in complex scenarios. The Ministry of Defense welcomes all cooperation in the field of air defense with branches of the U.S. military.”
Shlomo Toaff, Executive Vice President and Head of Rafael’s Air Defense Systems Division said:
“The Iron Dome system continues to prove itself as an advanced and unique air defense system, with thousands of successful interceptions in complex operational scenarios. The fruitful collaboration with the U.S. Marine Corps, together with our partnership with Raytheon, demonstrates Rafael’s ability to deliver tailored and unique solutions, providing effective and precise air defense against a wide range of aerial threats. This successful exercise represents an important milestone, and we will continue, together with IMDO, to expand air defense capabilities in collaboration with our strategic partners worldwide.”