Mr. Iron Dome: The TAU Alumnus behind Israel’s Protective Miracle

With a PhD in Engineering and Management from Tel Aviv University, Danny Gold, a former head of the Israel Defense Forces' Weapons and Technological R&D, both invented and managed the development of the revolutionary Iron Dome system. For his efforts, Gold was awarded the prestigious 2012 Israel Defense Prize - and has become one of Israel's favorite citizens. 

Since operation in 2011, Iron Dome has been credited with saving countless lives and preventing widespread property damage. During the last Israeli-Gaza conflict, Operation Pillar of Defense, Iron Dome successfully intercepted and destroyed over 400 missiles.

This time around, Iron Dome has intercepted even more rockets, boasting a success rate of just under 90%. 

Speaking last year to a meeting of TAU Israeli Friends Business Academic Club, Dr. Gold spoke of the inspiration for the anti-missile system, the long process of actualizing the vision, and credited the brainpower of young researchers who were recruited in the R&D phase, saying that “they were instrumental in many scientific breakthroughs in the development of Iron Dome."

From left: TAU President Prof. Joseph Klafter, Israeli Friends President Amnon Dick and Dr. Danny Gold

With nine missile batteries now deployed around the country, and hundreds of millions of dollars earmarked for more, Iron Dome has become a critical component in Israel’s multi-layered defense capabilities, allowing millions of residents, and Israeli commerce and industry, to continue to function in the face of sustained rocket attack.   

And it all started with the vision and technological genius of one TAU graduate.