Arrow test illustration
Photo courtesy of Israel Aerospace Industries
Israel to test Arrow missile on US range
Pentagon official says move will allow testing of defense missile on longer range than Mediterranean
Israel
will soon test an Arrow interceptor missile on a US missile range in the Pacific Ocean in a joint exercise that also will involve three US missile defense systems, a top US general said on Tuesday.
Army Lieutenant General Patrick O'Reilly, director of the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency, said the test will allow Israel to measure its advanced Arrow system against a target with a range of more than 1,000 km too long for previous Arrow test sites in the eastern Mediterranean.
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The Arrow system, jointly developed by Israel and the United States, is designed to defend Israel against possible ballistic missile attacks from Iran and Syria.
"They are having a flight test soon this summer," O'Reilly told reporters.
"They're limited to the range of the missile they can test in the eastern Mediterranean. There's a safety issue," he said. "That's the primary purpose of them coming to the United States to use our test range."
O'Reilly did not say when the test flight would occur and other Pentagon officials were not immediately available for comment.
"The upcoming test also provides us the opportunity to have the Patriot system, the THAAD system and the Aegis system all interacting with the Arrow system so that we're demonstrating full interoperability as we execute this test," he added.
Israel carried out a successful test launch of its Arrow II interceptor missile in April, shooting down a target designed to simulate an Iranian Shehab missile over the Mediterranean.
Israel Radio said the April exercise was the 16th test launch of an Arrow. A defense source in Israel said 90 percent of the tests have been successful.
At least two Arrow batteries have been deployed in Israel, which has been testing the system to improve its performance at high altitudes against multiple incoming missiles.
