IDF SUCCESSFULLY TESTS ‘IRON DOME OF THE SEA’:

Israel has successfully tested a maritime missile interception system dubbed the Iron Dome of the Sea, the military announced on Wed. 18 May 2016. The system, which can shoot down short-range rockets similar to those fired from Gaza, successfully destroyed "several" missiles, Ariel Shir, head of operational systems in the navy, said. "The test proved the Israeli navy's ability to protect Israel's strategic assets at sea against short-range strategic rockets". During the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip, Israel deployed its Iron Dome system on land to shoot down rockets fired across the border. A similar system has been in development for several years and was revealed to the public mid-week. Israel has a number of assets at sea, including a major offshore gas rig around 16 nautical miles from Gaza. Hamas has previously targeted the installation unsuccessfully. Any damage to the rig could be potentially hugely damaging to the Israeli economy, since it provides large amounts of the country's energy needs. (Arutz-7)