After the Second Lebanon War, we realized that it is impossible to agree to a threat without having a response to it, and within a year we were already in the first test of an Iron Dome

This is what Natan Barak, CEO of the mPrest company that develops the "brain" (software system for command and control) of the "Iron Dome" system said at the tenth meeting of the Israeli chip club of the CHIPORTAL website and TAPEOUT magazine that took place this week in Tel Aviv 

"After the Second Lebanon War, we realized that it is impossible to agree to a threat without having a response to it, and within a year we were already in the first test of an Iron Dome." This is what Natan Barak, CEO of the mPrest company that develops the "brain" (command and control software system) of the "Iron Dome" system said at the tenth meeting of the Israeli chip club of the CHIPORTAL website and TAPEOUT magazine that took place this week in Tel Aviv. The mPrest company develops control systems for civil and military organizations and was awarded Rafael's investment.

"After Shlomo Gerdman accompanied me at the beginning of my journey, I couldn't say no to him and I came to the Chip Club." Barak said at the beginning of his lecture. Gerdman, the owner of this site, was Barak's mentor upon his release from the army, on behalf of the Electronics Industries Association. "In the army I served in the Navy computer center which later became an ICT center. I worked with the industry back when I was there, but there is a difference between looking at the industry from the side of the army and being in the industry and selling."

"The Emprest company, which raised 4 million dollars from Pitango and other funds, was supposed to deal with wireless internet for mobile phones. When I got to them after two years they ran out of money. We opened a new company, Amfirst System, and went in a new direction, we realized that the most important thing is international marketing, but to reach market leadership in control and control systems will require a long time, so we gave up control of the company and brought in Rafael as a central player with 50% of the shares. This is a platform that will allow us to be leaders in Israel and then also in the world. Our customers are the defense industry - Rafael, Elta, Melt, but also Laitorn, an electricity company, and companies abroad such as the Russian Ras Hydra."

"We decided that everything we opened would be generic. After we installed a control and monitoring system at their location in Israel, we made a commitment that they would be able to install it in other places without a programmer. This is despite the fact that cars are stolen in Israel, but drivers are kidnapped in Brazil."

"We developed a generic infrastructure for command and control systems that sold the infrastructures to foreign companies. Elta has developed 10 different systems on top of our infrastructures. MPREST is a company with a vision and an excellent system."

Later, Barak explained how the company evolved into the parent company's most important project - the Iron Dome. "In the Second Lebanon War we were shot at and without being ready we kicked forward, we had to do something and within a year we had already carried out the first experiment. We made all possible mistakes. The last confrontation - Operation Cloud Pillar made it clear to us that the Iron Dome has an additional advantage beyond the protection of civilians - it allows the decision makers to make the right decisions and prepare properly."

"Less than a second from the moment we discovered the threat that it is indeed a threat, that we did not accidentally shoot at helicopters that could be identified by the system as a ballistic missile due to the nature of their movement. This is a very complex event in short ranges with very low degradation angles. The enemy is also getting sophisticated. In the past, the terrorists who fired missiles would hide in the fields. Today they are sophisticated, it is very difficult to discover them. We closed a gap of many years when we were shot at and had no response. As for our neighbors - we will know how to deal with missiles in the short term. We fight everything that comes from Iran, although there is self-production in Gaza. The success rates are already very high today, but we will continue and improve them."

Later, Barak described the operation of the system: "As soon as the threat is detected, we react in less than a second." Our goal is to safely bring the Tamir interceptor home to the target. For each threat we generate 820 solutions and choose the best, the challenges are many. Mainly we have to be careful not to hit the planes and therefore in case of such concern, interception is waived. As mentioned, within a year we had already performed the first experiment, there was not much to learn even though we had a little help from the arrow keys. We were responsible for the issue of the Shin Bet and the media. We are connected to all possible sensors of the Air Force. After building the picture we assess the threats. If there are not enough interceptors, we will not intercept any target or we will give up the possibility of launching two interceptor missiles, as by the way we did with the battery that was placed in Tel Aviv, and this because it was a battery that was taken out of testing and included insufficiently tested software versions. "

"The system includes a unique computing system of its kind in Israel, with all possible encryptions and ACTIVE DIRECTORIES. Today, we bring a control trailer to each battery, and in the future, the intention is to go for a national control center, as we are doing with one of the first systems we will launch."