Ukraine May Receive Iron Dome Missile Defense: US Congressional Initiative, Quick Reaction from the Presidential Office, and What the System Is

The system can shoot down enemy missiles. Earlier, it was considered for use in eastern Ukraine to minimize losses among the Armed Forces of Ukraine and civilians.

Ukraine may receive Iron Dome missile defense systems from the United States.

How the US Congressional initiative received bipartisan support, how quickly the Office of the President called it an achievement of the meeting between Presidents Zelensky and Biden, and what the Iron Dome is.

Congressional initiative

As reported by Politico, Republican Congressman Scott Franklin introduced an amendment to the 2022 defense bill that would require the Biden administration to sell or transfer new air and missile defense systems to Ukraine, including a potential shipment of an Iron Dome battery. 

The version of the US 2022 fiscal year defense policy bill from the House Armed Services Committee includes an amendment requiring the Pentagon to submit to Congress a report outlining options for the potential sale or transfer of “existing systems” to Ukraine. It was adopted by a bipartisan vote.

According to the outlet, the US currently does not have many surplus air and missile defense batteries ready for redeployment.

The amendment proposed by Congress does not specify any particular weapons system to be transferred to Ukraine.

However, a source at Congress told the outlet that the wording about transferring existing systems suggests the two Army Iron Dome batteries are the main candidates for transfer, since the Army has few suitable systems that could neutralize the threat Ukraine faces from Russia.

However, it is noted that the US Army has not been able to figure out how to operate the two Iron Dome batteries that Congress ordered it to acquire in 2019 as an interim measure.

These two batteries are currently being prepared for integration into the American missile defense system in 2022. Until now, this had not been possible, as the Iron Dome was reportedly not designed to work within the new US Army system.

Office of the President's Reaction

Shortly after the news, a publication appeared on the website of the Office of the President of Ukraine, calling this Congressional initiative “the first results of President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to the US.”

It remains somewhat unclear how Zelensky's meeting with US President Joe Biden could have influenced this. The initiative was introduced by a Republican representative, while Biden is a Democrat. Also, for technical reasons, Zelensky was unable to meet with members of the US Congress.

The Office of the President also noted that the main bill of the US House of Representatives already contains a proposal to provide $275 million in military aid to Ukraine, in addition to air defense systems.

What Is Iron Dome

The Iron Dome missile defense battery is designed to protect against unguided tactical missiles with a range of 4 to 70 kilometers.

The system was created by Israeli defense company Rafael in partnership with Raytheon and has proven itself as one of the most effective means of destroying short-range missiles.

According to the military, the Iron Dome system has intercepted about 90% of missiles fired at Israel over the past several years. The most recent demonstrative example was Israel's conflict with Palestine in May, when daily reports came in about successful interceptions of rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip by the Iron Dome. 

One Iron Dome battery costs $50 million, while one interception of an enemy missile costs $30,000-40,000.