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The People Behind Israel's Air Defense Success
(Israel Hayom) Yoav Limor - Brig.-Gen. Ran Kochav, commander of the IDF's air defense program, said Israel's "air defenses have racked up some 2,000 interceptions. Imagine what would have happened if those missiles had fallen and each one of them had killed someone. We would have been at war long ago." The interception rate in 2019 was an unprecedented 94%. "The other side...should decide whether, given these rates of interception, it's worthwhile for him to start a war, knowing that most of the rockets he fires won't hit their targets." Kochav gives credit to the personnel first, and then to the systems. "My mom is sure that the Color Red siren is automatic, and so is Iron Dome....I go nuts when I hear on the radio that Iron Dome intercepted something. What is Iron Dome? There are soldiers behind it. It's not automatic." "I need intelligence, most of which we collect ourselves, but the Americans help with some. Air defense is the only field in which there is a signed operational directive with the Americans. Nothing else like it exists." That means "that there is intelligence and operational cooperation in the field of defense." Kochav notes that over 50% of the recent recruits to the program have been women. "Everything here is 50-50. I have the most integrated battalions....A woman can serve in any air defense position."