Israel deploys C-Dome defence system for the first time

Israel for the first time deployed its ship-mounted defence system, called the C-Dome, against a “suspicious” target that entered the country’s airspace near the southern city of Eilat, the military said Tuesday.

The C-Dome is a naval version of the Iron Dome air defence system used to shield against rocket and missile attacks.

On Monday evening, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported an alert in the area of Eilat, which was targeted in February by intercepted ballistic missile fire from Yemen’s Houthi rebels, allies of Palestinian militants Hamas.

“Following the sirens that sounded in the area of Eilat regarding the infiltration of a hostile aircraft, IDF Naval forces identified a suspicious aerial target crossing into Israeli territory,” the IDF said in a statement released early Tuesday.

Photo: An Israeli navy’s Saar 6 corvette armed with the C-DOME system providing defense from a variety of airborne threats. IDF