Israel Completes Flight Test of Arrow Weapons System

The Defense Ministry said on Tuesday it had completed a planned flight test of the Arrow weapons system and would release further test details throughout the day.

Last year, Israel said it was developing a new ballistic missile shield, the Arrow-4, with the United States.

Its Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 interceptors are already operational as part of a multi-layered system to destroy incoming missiles in the atmosphere and in space.

According to a ministry statement, Tuesday’s live-fire test followed a number of recent ballistic missile tests held by Iran.

In a brazen threat to Europe, the Islamic republic announced recently that it has increased the range of its arsenal of ballistic missiles.

“The operational radar arrays of the Arrow system detected the target and sent the data to the fire management system, which analyzed the data and fully plotted the interception. Once the plans were completed, two Arrow 3 interceptors were fired at the target, and they completed their mission successfully,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Israel’s multilayered air defense includes Iron Dome, designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells; David’s Sling, which counters medium- to long-range rockets and missiles; the Arrow 2 short- and medium-range ballistic missile interceptor, and the Arrow 3 long-range missile interceptor, which is one of the most advanced systems of its kind in the world.

Arrow 3 is the product of a collaboration between the Defense Ministry’s Missile Defense Organization and the American Missile Defense Agency. Work is underway on the even more sophisticated Arrow 4.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz welcomed the result, saying, “This successful and unprecedented experiment points to Israel’s technological superiority, led by the defense establishment and the defense industries.

“Step by step, development by development, we maintain Israel’s ability to defend itself against the threats developing in the [regional] theater, and we allow Israel its offensive action leeway against our enemies, with the understanding that the best defense allows for the most effective attack.”

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi issued a statement saying, “The IDF and the defense establishment lend great importance to the upgrading of our air defenses.

“Today’s [Tuesday] experiment is another component in our ability to counter threats developing in the region as part of the IDF’s work plan. The successful combination of air defense fighters and advanced Israeli technology produces one of the best multilayered defense capabilities in the world.”

U.S. Missile Defense Agency Director Adm. Jon Hill also welcomed the results, saying that the information collected during the test will assist in future improvements to Arrow 3.

The MDA remains committed to assisting Israel in upgrading its air defenses against existing and future missile threats in the region, he said.