"The Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO), under the Israeli Ministry of Defense’s DDR&D [Directorate of Defense Research and Development], along with the Israeli Navy and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems have successfully completed a series of multi-system and multi-tier tests using the naval version of the Iron Dome system, known as 'C-Dome,'" the ministry said on social media.
The C-Dome weapon, installed on Saar 6-class Magen corvettes, successfully intercepted advanced targets that pose a threat to Israel's infrastructure and strategic assets in its exclusive economic zone, the ministry added.
C-Dome is designed to protect ships and sea-based assets against a wide range of threats. The Jerusalem Post reported that the latest test involved a much wider range of targets - from cruise missiles to drones - than those used in the November tests.State-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, which developed C-Dome, said the air defense system represents a significant leap forward for Israel's existing defense capabilities.
"The naval Iron Dome is a significant pillar in the self-defense and regional defense array of the defense ships and is a significant leap forward both for the existing capabilities in protecting the State of Israel's assets and economic interests and for Israel's naval superiority in the arena," the company said.
IMDO head Moshe Patel said that the Israeli Defense Ministry is constantly improving the Iron Dome's capabilities on land and at sea in order to increase its effectiveness.
C-Dome was designed as a naval version of Israel's Iron Dome, a short-range defense system that is part of a four-tier air defense shield, along with the medium-range David's Sling and Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 anti-ballistic weapons that can reach inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere.