Iron Dome Delays

Israel scheduled to test-launch the Tamir interceptor as a part of the Iron Dome more than two weeks ago. Defense officials now acknowledged that the system has encountered an unexpected delay and that the launch was postponed until next month. The Jerusalem Post writes:

The launch test was cancelled at the last minute due to a technical malfunction at the test site in southern Israel, near the Ramon Air Force Base. The malfunction was not connected to the Iron Dome, officials said. The test had already been rescheduled several times, and officials said Tuesday it would not be conducted until the middle of July.

However, the officials are optimistic that the operational deadline of 2010 can be met – this stands in contrast to the perception of some skeptics who regard 2016 to be a more realistic timeline.