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Arrow interceptor's nighttime test
Photo courtesy of the IAI
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Arrow anti-missile system passes test
Test launch meant to examine improvements to interception system ends successfully
Hanan Greenberg
Israel's Arrow 2 anti-ballistic missile system successfully passed a test-launch meant to examine the interceptor's engineering data following new improvements. The system did not have a target to hit in this experiment.
The defense establishment is already talking about continuing the system's development from Arrow 2 to Arrow 3, although no decision will be made in the near future.
Test launch meant to examine improvements to interception system ends successfully
Hanan Greenberg
Israel's Arrow 2 anti-ballistic missile system successfully passed a test-launch meant to examine the interceptor's engineering data following new improvements. The system did not have a target to hit in this experiment.
The defense establishment reported that the test, carried out at Palmahim base on Monday, went as predicted.
A senior defense establishment source said that the interceptor in its new form was now 20 percent more cost-effective.
"The interceptor is cheaper, but beyond that, improvements have been installed in it in several different areas related to sensors and electronics, which are meant to ensure that the system has all the needed features to deal with future threats," said the source.
Defense establishment officials stressed that the test was planned a long time in advance, was on the system's development graph and was programmed to run a specific course.
This was the Arrow's 16th test, costing an estimated NIS 15 million (about $3.5 million).
No radars were used and the interceptor remained in the air for about a minute and a half during which the engineering data was collected.
"Everything we do in the development of the Arrow is related to predictions and estimates of threats facing Israel," added the source, "as is the case here, where changes to the interceptor's software and hardware were made. However, the present experiment has nothing to do with any new information regarding Iran."
The source stated that the next step in examining the updated version of Arrow 2 was to test it against a missile barrage, a complicated test that would demand many resources.
"There is no doubt that what we have developed so far and what we continue to develop can successfully cope with any missile warhead, and will also be suitable against all the coming Shihabs," said the source.
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