Rocket and missile fire have long been one of Israel’s most disturbing security problems. Rockets from the Gaza Strip are threatening the population in Southern Israel, while the Northern citizens are faced with missile threat from Hezbollah in Lebanon.

This week Israel has completed its new and very ambitious “Iron Dome” air defense system, which is designed to give a solution to this problem.

This is how it works: a radar detects the rocket/missile that is being fired into Israel, and the system launches a counter missile that crushes into the target and destroys it while it’s still in the air.

However, this is a very expensive solution. Shooting down one rocket using the system, is estimated in $40,000. Since it would be financially impossible to shoot down thousands of rockets, the system is capable of detecting where the rocket is going to land while it’s still in the air. Therefore, only rockets/missiles which are about to land in populated areas will be shot down and destroyed.

In May this year, the U.S. Congress approved President Obama’s proposal for a $205 million funding to help Israel produce the new system. The funding, which provides approximately half of the cost to field the system, is meant to allow Israel to accelerate the deployment of the “Iron Dome,” which is expected to become operational in November.

* The video is courtesy of Israeli Rafael Defense Systems.