{"id":"comp-210","slug":"iron-dome-vs-s-400","title":"Iron Dome vs S-400","shortAnswer":"Iron Dome is Israel's short-range rocket defense system with a 90%+ interception rate against rockets and mortars. The S-400 Triumf is Russia's long-range air defense system designed to shoot down aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles at 400km range. They serve completely different roles.","keyDifferences":[{"label":"Range","entityAValue":"4-70 km","entityBValue":"40-400 km","winner":"b"},{"label":"Targets","entityAValue":"Rockets, mortars, drones","entityBValue":"Aircraft, cruise/ballistic missiles","winner":"b"},{"label":"Interception Rate","entityAValue":"90%+ (proven)","entityBValue":"Claimed 90%+ (unproven vs peers)","winner":"a"},{"label":"Cost per Battery","entityAValue":"$50M","entityBValue":"$500M+","winner":"a"},{"label":"Combat Proven","entityAValue":"Yes (10,000+ intercepts)","entityBValue":"Limited","winner":"a"},{"label":"Targets Tracked","entityAValue":"Multiple","entityBValue":"300 simultaneously","winner":"b"}],"verdict":"These aren't competitors — they're different classes. Iron Dome defends against short-range rockets (Hamas, Hezbollah). S-400 defends against aircraft and missiles at long range. Israel uses Iron Dome + David's Sling + Arrow for layered defense.","category":"military","entities":[{"id":"ent-420","slug":"iron-dome","name":"Iron Dome","shortDesc":"Israeli short-range air defense system by Rafael","imageUrl":null,"entityType":"technology","position":0,"pros":["90%+ interception rate","Battle-proven (thousands of intercepts)","AI-based threat assessment","Cost-effective per intercept ($40-100K)","Fast reaction time","Mobile and rapidly deployable"],"cons":["Short range only (4-70 km)","Cannot intercept ballistic missiles","$50K+ per interceptor vs $500 rockets","Can be overwhelmed by mass salvos"],"bestFor":"Defense against short-range rockets, mortars, and drones"},{"id":"ent-421","slug":"s-400","name":"S-400 Triumf","shortDesc":"Russian long-range air defense system by Almaz-Antey","imageUrl":null,"entityType":"technology","position":1,"pros":["400 km maximum range","Can engage aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles","Multiple missile types (48N6, 40N6)","Track 300 targets simultaneously","Operates in heavy electronic warfare"],"cons":["No proven combat record against peer adversary","Very expensive ($500M+ per battalion)","Large footprint (harder to hide)","Unproven against stealth aircraft"],"bestFor":"Long-range air and missile defense of strategic assets"}],"attributes":[{"id":"attr-1200","slug":"max-range","name":"Max Range","unit":"km","category":"Performance","dataType":"number","higherIsBetter":true,"values":[{"entityId":"ent-420","valueText":"70","valueNumber":70,"valueBoolean":null,"winner":false},{"entityId":"ent-421","valueText":"400","valueNumber":400,"valueBoolean":null,"winner":true}]},{"id":"attr-1201","slug":"battery-cost","name":"Battery Cost","unit":"USD","category":"Cost","dataType":"number","higherIsBetter":null,"values":[{"entityId":"ent-420","valueText":"$50M","valueNumber":50,"valueBoolean":null},{"entityId":"ent-421","valueText":"$500M+","valueNumber":500,"valueBoolean":null}]},{"id":"attr-1202","slug":"combat-proven","name":"Combat Proven","unit":null,"category":"Record","dataType":"text","higherIsBetter":null,"values":[{"entityId":"ent-420","valueText":"Yes (10,000+ intercepts)","valueNumber":null,"valueBoolean":null},{"entityId":"ent-421","valueText":"Limited use","valueNumber":null,"valueBoolean":null}]},{"id":"attr-1203","slug":"interceptor-cost","name":"Interceptor Cost","unit":"USD","category":"Cost","dataType":"number","higherIsBetter":null,"values":[{"entityId":"ent-420","valueText":"$40-100K","valueNumber":70,"valueBoolean":null},{"entityId":"ent-421","valueText":"$1-2M","valueNumber":1500,"valueBoolean":null}]}],"faqs":[{"question":"Which is better?","answer":"They serve different purposes. Iron Dome is for short-range rocket defense. S-400 is for long-range air defense. A complete defense needs both types — Israel uses Iron Dome + David's Sling + Arrow for layered defense."},{"question":"Can the S-400 shoot down an F-35?","answer":"This is disputed. Russia claims yes. Western analysts are skeptical, as the F-35's stealth and electronic warfare capabilities are designed specifically to defeat systems like the S-400. No S-400 has successfully engaged an F-35 in combat."}],"relatedComparisons":[{"slug":"us-military-vs-china-military","title":"US Military vs China Military","category":"military"},{"slug":"usa-vs-china","title":"USA vs China","category":"countries"},{"slug":"ww1-vs-ww2","title":"World War 1 vs World War 2: Causes, Deaths & Key Differences","category":"history"},{"slug":"us-navy-vs-us-army","title":"US Navy vs US Army","category":"military"},{"slug":"marines-vs-army","title":"US Marines vs US Army","category":"military"},{"slug":"air-force-vs-navy","title":"Air Force vs Navy","category":"military"},{"slug":"nato-vs-brics","title":"NATO vs BRICS","category":"military"},{"slug":"officer-vs-enlisted","title":"Officer vs Enlisted","category":"military"},{"slug":"us-military-vs-russia-military","title":"US Military vs Russia Military","category":"military"},{"slug":"india-military-vs-pakistan-military","title":"India Military vs Pakistan Military","category":"military"},{"slug":"aircraft-carrier-vs-submarine","title":"Aircraft Carrier vs Submarine","category":"military"},{"slug":"national-guard-vs-active-duty","title":"National Guard vs Active Duty","category":"military"}],"relatedBlogPosts":[],"metadata":{"metaTitle":"Iron Dome vs S-400: Complete Comparison (2026) | Comparison","metaDescription":"Iron Dome is Israel's short-range rocket defense system with a 90%+ interception rate against rockets and mortars. The S-400 Triumf is Russia's long-range air…","publishedAt":"2026-03-21T00:00:00Z","updatedAt":"2026-03-21T00:00:00Z","isAutoGenerated":false,"isHumanReviewed":true,"viewCount":478000}}