Israel’s C-Dome air-defense system intercepted a suspected drone over the Red Sea near Eilat shortly before midnight on Monday. The incident marked the first operational interception of the system, the naval equivalent of Israel’s ground-based Iron Dome.
“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 target was successfully intercepted by the ‘C-Dome‘ naval defense system,” said the Israel Defense Forces.
Tonight was the first operational interception by the IDF’s ship-mounted Iron Dome system, known as C-Dome.
Civilian surveillance camera footage shows the interceptors being launched from an Israeli Navy Sa’ar 6-class corvette over the Eilat Bay. pic.twitter.com/qDR3C40R2v
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) April 8, 2024
“The target was tracked by the IDF, no injuries were reported and no damage was caused,” the statement continued.
The interceptor was installed on the Israeli Navy’s Sa’ar 6-class “Magen” corvette and became operational in November 2022.
In a more detailed statement about the interception, the IDF said on Tuesday afternoon that forces in the area operated in coordination with the air control unit and the missile ship.
“As part of the assessment of the situation since the start of hostilities, missile ships are deployed in the Red Sea arena, including a Saar 6 model missile ship that carries out its missions in the area. The sea arm operates in the Red Sea theater area and is prepared to face a variety of regional threats through defensive and offensive capabilities,” the IDF said.
במהלך הלילה ספינת טילים מסוג סער 6 ביצעה לראשונה יירוט מוצלח באמצעות מערכת ״כיפה ימית״ של כלי טיס בלתי מאויש, אשר עשה את דרכו מכיוון מזרח וחצה למרחב מפרץ אילת.
הכוחות שהיו במרחב פעלו יחד עם יחידת הבקרה האווירית ובתיאום וסנכרון מלא מול הסטי״ל מסוג סער 6 של שייטת 3>> pic.twitter.com/ujOAK9pOaZ
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 9, 2024
C-Dome is a joint project of the Israel Navy, the Israel Missile Defense Organization (part of the Defense Ministry’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development) and Rafael Advanced Systems.
The Eilat area has been targeted by several drone attacks during the current Gaza war, including an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that fell in Jordanian territory on April 9, 200 meters from the Israeli border and near the Ilan and Asaf Ramon Airport and the city of Eilat.
The IDF shot down a projectile over the southern Israeli city of Eilat. It was downed by the Navy’s ship-mounted Iron Dome system, known as C-Dome. pic.twitter.com/zuNS9wRnXp
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) April 8, 2024
In the overnight hours of April 7, a naval base was lightly damaged by a UAV launched from Iraq that entered Israeli territory from Jordan.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq took responsibility for that attack, claiming it struck a “vital target” in Israel.
In December, Jordanian air defenses intercepted an armed drone fired by the group that was headed towards Eilat.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have also launched multiple missile and drone attacks at Eilat in support of Hamas. Most of the launches were thwarted by Israeli, US or Saudi forces or missed their targets.
With reporting by JNS.
