Arrow-3 Completes Successful Trial

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A successful trial of the Arrow-3 anti-missiles missile was completed yesterday morning.

Arrow-3 is designed to intercept ballistic missiles from outside the atmosphere. The experiment was conducted in a field at the center of the country, led by Israeli Aerospace Industry (IAI) and was participated by the Israeli Air Force.

After launching the target from an Air Force aircraft, the Arrow system radar detected it, transferred its data to base, which analyzed it and devised a full interception scheme. With the completion for the scheme, an Arrow-3 interceptor was launched towards the target.

The Arrow-3 interceptor has gone through all flight phases according to plan and has destroyed the target. The interception itself took place in space.

Due to security considerations which accompany intercepting a missile at such high altitudes, this experiment included the use of a missile blast door, carried on top of the target missile.

The experiment included representatives of the American MDA and the industries involved in the development of the weapon system. The chief contractor for the development of the weapon and Arrow interceptors is MLM division for IAI, who works alongside Elta – a division and subsidiary of IAI, in charge of radar detection. Elbit System’s Elisra developed the fire management system and Rafael developed the target missile. Boeing has partnered with IAI/MLM in the development and production of Arrow-3.

The Arrow system is a key factor in the multilayered defense system – a development led by the Ministry of Defense through the research and development agency, Mafaat. The multilayered defense system has 4 layers of protection: The Iron dome system (operational), David’s Sling (in final stages before operational deployment), Arrow-2 system (operational) and the Arrow-3 system (in development). The success of this experiment is a milestone in the operational capability of the state of Israel to defend itself against existing and current threats.

More interception trials are scheduled for the Arrow-3 interceptor, which is the top layer of protection for the state of Israel, before it can turn operational.

“The success of the Arrow-3 experiment today is an significant milestone and an important step towards one of Israel and IAI’s most important projects becoming operational,” said IAI’s CEO, Yossi Weiss. “This is a very complicated project, technology wise, which presents outstanding capabilities and performance, in close collaboration with American partner Boeing. The work towards the experiment took many months and we are glad it was deemed successful, and from now on IAI’s developers and engineers are focused on the next stages of development.”