BICOM

Israel’s Defence Ministry announced that a successful interception test of the Arrow 3 anti-missile system was carried out for the first time yesterday morning.

The Arrow 3’s flight capability had previously been tested, but never before had it been deployed to intercept a missile. The Defence Ministry said that at 8.10 yesterday morning, Israeli aircraft fired two targets off the Mediterranean coast, which the Arrow 3 locked onto outside of the earth’s atmosphere and destroyed the targets via kinetic impact. A statement said, “The Arrow-3 interceptor carried out all of the flight stages according to plan, and destroyed the target. The interception itself occurred in space.” The system is being developed by the Israel Missile Defence Organisation from the Defence Ministry’s research and development directorate and the US Missile Defence Agency.

The Arrow 3 is thought to be among the most advanced missile detection systems in the world. Alongside the Iron Dome, Arrow 2 and David’s Sling systems, the Arrow 3 is part of Israel’s layered aerial defence system, which is being developed in coordination with the United States. The Iron Dome defence system, which was widely deployed during Operation Pillar of Defence in November 2012, provides protection from short and mid-range ballistic threats, typically from Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Meanwhile, other surface-to-air interceptors including Arrow 3 are designed to counter the threat of longer range missiles, including the Iranian Shihab-3 missiles. Together, these systems aim to provide Israel with a protective umbrella to counter all forms of ballistic threats.

Additional flight tests will be conducted. Nonetheless, Israel’s Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon described yesterday’s successful interception as “further proof of the impressive qualities of defence industries in Israel and their employees.” He said it is “another phase in the State of Israel’s ability to safeguard our power, alongside our impressive and varied offensive capabilities,” and thanked “our great friend the United States, which is a partner in the project, and supports it.”