There seems to have been some crossed wires at CCHQ after Kemi Badenoch contradicted her own party’s announcement about an ‘Iron Dome’ pledge.
On Tuesday, the Conservatives announced plans to develop the UK’s own integrated air and missile defence system, which they have dubbed the ‘Britannia Shield.’
Modelled on Israel’s Iron Dome, it would include new interceptor missiles and counter-drone capabilities to combat attacks from drones to long-range missiles.
The Tories say that it comes amid growing threats of missile and drone attacks, as Ukraine is facing daily attacks, while earlier this year, Iran and its proxies attacked British military bases in Cyprus and the Chagos Islands.
‘One of UK’s most significant military programmes since the Cold War’
The plans are set to be unveiled by shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge at the Tory party conference on Tuesday.
The new system would cost up to £10bn and would be “one of Britain’s most significant military programmes since the Cold War”, according to Cartlidge.
But there’s been some mixed messaging over the announcement and particularly the use of the term ‘Iron Dome’ – even between the leader of the Conservative Party and her own press team it seems.
Speaking on the press rounds on Tuesday morning, Badenoch was asked about comments from former general Sir Richard Barrons who had said the policy would cost up to £100bn.
Badenoch said Barrons was referring to an Israel-style Iron Dome, whereas she is referring to something different.
The Tory leader said the air defence plan is “not going to be exactly like the Iron Dome,” the Guardian reports.
She claimed the “newspapers” were responsible for labelling it an ‘Iron Dome’, denying her party has used such words.
But the Conservative party press release shows they, in fact, did just that..
What the Iron Dome is and how it works
The Iron Dome is an Israeli mobile all-weather air defense system, developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries.
Thanks to the system and its design, Israel can intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells whose trajectory would take them to an Israeli populated area.
The United States, Israel’s strongest ally, contributed a total of US$1.6 billion to the Iron Dome defense system from 2011 to 2021.
Another US$1 billion was approved by the US Congress in 2022.
The system was declared operational and initially deployed on 27 March 2011.
On 7 April 2011, the Iron Dome successfully intercepted a rocket launched from Gaza for the first time.
On 10 March 2012, The Jerusalem Post reported that the system shot down 90% of rockets launched from Gaza that would have landed in populated areas.
The system is designed to counter short-range rockets and 155 mm artillery shells with a range of up to 70 kilometers and can respond to multiple threats simultaneously.