Iron Dome is an Israeli mobile all-weather air defense system developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries. It is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells fired from distances of 4 to 70 kilometers away and whose trajectory would take them to an Israeli populated area. The system operates in all weather conditions and uses radar to track incoming rockets and can differentiate between those that are likely to hit built-up areas and those that are not. Interceptor missiles are only fired at rockets expected to strike populated areas. The system consists of batteries located across Israel, each with three to four launchers that can fire 20 interceptor missiles. There are both fixed and mobile versions of the system. The Iron Dome was developed after the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, a militant group based in southern Lebanon. It was created by Israeli firms Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries, with some US support. The system was first used in combat in 2011 and has since intercepted thousands of rockets fired from Gaza into Israel.