Israel Defense Forces New Mortar Launch Radar Technology Could Save Lives

The Israeli army has developed radars that are capable of identifying morars when they are launched. The new radar technology will shorten the time between the launch of a shell and when warning alarms are set off.

The Israel Defense Forces’ Southern Command announced that the technological advancement has already been deployed for future use in multiple communities near the Gaza border and will be in operation soon, according to a report by Haaretz Thursday. An official said the development of the technology began after the last year’s Operation Protective Edge was put into place in the Gaza Strip in response to Palestinian rocket fire. The Israeli offensive responded by bombing some 50 targets. Some 600 Palestinian lives and nearly 30 Israeli lives were claimed in the crossfire after just two weeks.

“Hamas realized it could damage the locales by firing high-trajectory short-range projectiles, which challenge our discovery and response times,” a senior IDF official said. “We have been installing the system over the last few months and expect to man it in the near future. We want to have these radar system in the locales by the High Holidays.”

The report says that it is unclear how much time will be shaved between the launch of the shell and the warning sirens under the new technology, but it is considered to be a significant improvement on the current situation where mortar shells often explode without warning. The IDF said it is confident that the extra seconds could save lives.

Another Southern Command IDF official also reportedly announced other efforts to protect civilians in the tumultuous Gaza area. An evacuation plan is being reviewed for implementation for locals during war time, something that was missing during Operation Protective Edge. The plans say that people will be evaluated by both air and ground using military armored vehicles.