Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) today performed the first trial in which the ballistic missile interception system Arrow was operated in its entirety. Within the trial, the Arrow was launched from Palmachim Air Force base at electronic targets, with Elta’s Green Pine radar system and Tadiran’s Gold Etrog fire control system being operated simultaneously.
The Arrow was launched at 14:41 and flew 100 seconds until executing the electronic interception. A preliminary analysis of trial results shows that the system operated properly. The missile was launched successfully, succeeded in gaining the target identified from the ground, and hit it.
This is the 13th trial in the whole Arrow program, and the 6th trial in which the Arrow 2 missile, which is the system’s operational version was launched. The previous trial failed, after a malfunction occurred in an electronic component in the intercepting missile, which was launched at a target missile.
The significance of the current trial’s success is that the integration of the interception system was conducted successfully, and that the project is at the final stages before being declared an operational system. The IDF is planning to start replenishment and deployment of the Arrow missiles in 1999,
Defense sources estimated that this is the most complex trial performed to date, and that now it has been proved that the whole system works properly and not just parts of it. IAI predicts the system will be declared operational after another 2-3 trials. The overall cost of the project from inception to replenishment with the two first missile batteries is $1.6 billion.
Published by Israel's Business Arena September 14, 1998