US senators push to transfer US Iron Dome air defense systems to Ukraine.

Two U.S. senators are pushing for the transfer of two U.S. Iron Dome defense system batteries to Ukraine, Apurva Mahajan reports in Aviation Week: on June 23, Senators Chris Van Hollen and Lindsey Graham wrote a letter to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Ranking Member Sen. Roger Wicker (D-Miss.) asking the committee to enable the equipment transfer.
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In June 2021, the US Army, in conjunction with the Israeli Missile Defense Organization (IMDO), took a critical step toward fielding the first of two Iron Dome Defense System-Army (IDDS-A) batteries. IDDS-A will defend supported forces within fixed and semi-fixed locations against sub-sonic Cruise Missiles, Groups 2 &3 UAS, and rockets, artillery and mortar threats (Picture source: U.S. Army)

Let us remind that Iron Dome is a mobile all-weather air defense system developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries. It is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells fired from distances of 4 kilometers (2.5 mi) to 70 kilometers (43 mi) away. From 2011 to 2021, the United States contributed a total of US$1.6 billion to the Iron Dome defense system, with another US$1 billion approved by the US Congress in 2022.

In October 2022, the Ukrainian government sent Israel an official request to provide it with air defense systems including Iron Dome to counter Russian missiles and drones of Iranian origin. But Israel has not provided Ukraine with weapons since the war started.

On its side, the first U.S. Army Iron Dome battery has completed new-equipment training and is ready for deployment, according to Gen. Daniel Karbler, commanding general of U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command. “The other one is wrapping up its new-equipment training right now. So the Army does have one [Iron Dome battery] available for deployment pending a request,” Karbler told the Senate Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee May 9.

Israel has blocked the transfer to date. If Israel does not change attitude, Senators Chris Van Hollen and Lindsey Graham suggested the possibility of moving the U.S. Iron Dome batteries to a different U.S. ally under U.S. supervision so air defense systems owned by the third country could be freed for Ukraine.

Defense News July 2023