The Arrow-3 (Hetz 3) air defense system, is an exoatmospheric hypersonic anti-ballistic missile that was funded, developed and produced by both Israel and the US, has passed a live interception test in Alaska, the Israeli Defence Ministry said on Sunday.
The missile was designed to be a defense mechanism against the ballistic missiles in Iran and Syria’s stockpile.
Jointly manufactured by Boeing Co, the Arrow-3 is capable of taking down missiles in space, at an altitude that would safely and effectively eliminate any non-conventional warheads. It passed its initial full interception test over the Mediterranean sea in 2015 and was deployed in Israel in 2017.
Days after #Iran tested it’s Shahab-3 medium-range ballistic missile, #Israel has announced it successfully tested it’s Arrow 3 ballistic missile defense system in Alaska, including the successful interception of an “enemy” target. pic.twitter.com/9xY5QmVqIR
— Anna Ahronheim (@AAhronheim) July 28, 2019
During the tests, an American AN/TPY2 radar was used and successfully displayed operational connectedness between the Israeli and American systems.
“Over 10 years of development with challenges has brought us to this moment when the Arrow 3 weapons system is conducting a series of tests,” explained Moshe Patel, director of the Israel Missile Defense Organization told the Jpost.
“The fact that the test took place in Alaska, tens of thousands of kilometers from the State of Israel, shows the ability of the Arrow 3 system to successfully withstand any threat. This is a joint and unique activity of the governments of the United States and Israel, which emphasizes the close and strategic cooperation between the countries in the field of missile defense,” he said.
Admiral Jon Hill, head of the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA), noted that “this successful series of tests represents a significant milestone in the development of the Arrow weapon system. Our American MDA team and industry partners are committed to helping the State of Israel upgrade its national missile defense capabilities in order to protect itself and the American forces deployed in the region from the growing threats.”