Arrow System Tested Successfully

2/19/2007

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Israel for the first time successfully conducted a nighttime test of its Arrow missile defense system, marking a key milestone for the centerpiece of the U.S.-Israel strategic relationship.

The Feb. 11 test came as Israel faces a growing array of strategic challenges. Syria recently test-fired an advanced model of its Scud missile, which is capable of striking anywhere in Israel.  Meanwhile, nuclear-minded Iran is in the process of further upgrading Shihab-3 missiles that can already hit Israel.

The Arrow supplies a potent response to such threats.  As the only operational system that has consistently proven that one missile can shoot down another at high altitudes and speeds, the Arrow program has the ability to shield the Jewish state from incoming ballistic missiles, which in the future may carry nuclear warheads.

“The Arrow answers all of the relevant threats to the state of Israel,” Brig. Gen. Danny Milo, commander of the Israeli Air Force’s Anti-Aircraft Division, told The Jerusalem Post.  He also noted that the test took the Arrow “farther than ever before” and expanded its capabilities and “defensive envelope.”

This most recent test—the 15th conducted by Israel—is especially notable because it demonstrates the Arrow’s ability to adapt to varying climactic conditions.

The Arrow system has constituted a cornerstone of U.S.-Israel defense cooperation for more than a decade. The joint program, which grew from the experiences during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, has brought significant benefits to America as well, which has incorporated many of its technologies into other U.S. missile defense programs.

Also, nearly half of each Arrow missile’s constituent parts are manufactured in the United States, bringing millions of dollars to the U.S. economy.

“We can’t ignore the environment we live in and what we hear about threats towards Israel,” Yossi Weiss, manager of the Space Division at Israel Aerospace Industries, told the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.  “Today [citizens] can know that they can sleep at night and be sure the defense establishment can protect them.”