Israel’s Arrow 3 missile shield hitting target in space

The system is incorporated into Israel’s multi-level defense shield and created to intercept missiles of varying ranges – from short-range missiles fired from neighboring territories, to long-range missiles launched from Iran, the news daily reported.

Israel and the United States launched the Arrow 3 interceptor on Thursday morning to test the advanced anti-ballistic missile system’s capabilities, the Defense Ministry announced.

A similar attempt to shoot down an incoming target conducted a year ago failed, with the test being changed at the last minute from a real-world “engagement test”, in which the system would attempt to shoot down an incoming missile, to a far less dramatic target-tracking exercise.

Arrow 3 interceptors are created to fly beyond the earth’s atmosphere, where their warheads detach to become “kamikaze” satellites, or “kill vehicles”, that track and slam into the targets.

IAI CEO Joseph Weiss was quoted by Reuters as saying: “The success of the Arrow 3 system today is an important step towards one of the most important projects for Israel and IAI becoming operational”. “At 8:10 we launched the intercepting missile at the target and hit it. It is the best result possible”.

Arrow serves as the top tier of an integrated Israeli shield built up to withstand various potential missile or rocket salvoes.

Israel strongly opposed a nuclear deal struck in July between Iran and major powers, arguing it would not block its regional rival’s path to atomic weapons.

Israel and the United States have test-fired an advanced ballistic missile system that has received extensive funding and technical assistance from the US. Israel and Hamas fought a Gaza war in 2014 but the Palestinian enclave has been relatively quiet since.

The Israeli defence ministry hailed Thursday’s test as a “major milestone”.