Israel’s Iron Dome short-range air defense system has been upgraded following an “extensive series of tests,” following the Iran war, the Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday.

The tests — carried out by the ministry’s Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDR&D) and the Rafael defense firm — were conducted against a “range of advanced threats, while incorporating operational lessons learned during the war and operations against Iran,” the ministry said in a statement.

During the tests, “several upgrades introduced to the system were tested to further improve its ability to deal with scenarios simulating existing and future threats, including rockets, cruise missiles, and UAVs,” it continued.

Additionally, the high-powered laser interception system Iron Beam — developed as a complementary system to Iron Dome — was tested alongside the Iron Dome in “joint operation scenarios,” from the Iron Dome’s command center.

“The new capabilities demonstrated in the tests constitute a significant step in improving the ability to contend with a wide range of attack scenarios,” the statement added, calling it one component in its strategy to preserve Israel’s “qualitative and strategic advantage in defense and offense.”

Israel’s multi-layered air defense array has been crucial in recent........

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