UK mulling Israel-style 'Iron Dome' defence system as threat from Putin grows

Britain has begun to take steps to see whether building an Israeli-style Iron Dome air defence system is viable, the head of the armed forces said yesterday.

Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said the new system could protect the entire country, or just cities and vital infrastructure - but that it would be up to the next government to decide whether it is needed.

"We are already doing the work nationally,"' he told BBC Radio 4.

"That then gives the opportunity to provide advice to the next government in terms of ‘Right, these are the choices and is this a Super Dome for Europe?

"Is this a more modest version where you focus on your larger cities and your critical national infrastructure and then what is best for the protection of the whole of Europe?"

Iron Dome offers Israel the ability to counter short-range rockets and 155mm artillery shells with a range of up to 43 miles. It can respond to multiple missile attacks simultaneously and operates day and night.

Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) - as Nato terms it - has been noted as a UK vulnerability for some time, though few governments have suggested any investment.

Just last year, the Defence Command Paper Refresh acknowledged that 'The challenge of protecting ourselves against attack from the skies, both overseas and at home, is at its most acute for over thirty years – as is evidenced in the war in Ukraine.'

However, critics say applying the system to the UK, which is 11 times larger than Israel and has 75 cities with a population of more than 100,000, would be unworkable.

Last night Justin Crump, ceo of the Sibylline strategic risk group, said: "It’s true that Britain’s size would make applying any kind of Iron Dome more challenging.

"But Vladimir Putin continues to threaten to send missiles directly our way, and it is refreshing to learn that the UK has shifted from the default position of relying on allies to protect us."