BICOM

Early this morning, Israel carried out a successful test of its Arrow 3 missile defence system following two cancelled tests in December and January.

In a statement, the Israeli Defence Ministry said: “A short while ago, the Defence Ministry and American MDA [Missile Defence Agency] carried out a planned flight test of its Arrow weapons system, with an Arrow 3 interceptor. The Arrow 3 interceptor was launched and carried out its mission.”

The Arrow 3 system was delivered to the Israeli Air Force (IAF) in January 2017 and has been in development for ten years. The system is designed to disable intercontinental ballistic missiles and is considered one of the world’s most advanced missile-defence systems. It was jointly developed by the Israeli Defence Ministry’s Missile Defence Organisation and the US Missile Defence Agency, but has been produced by Israel Aerospace Industry (IAI). The Arrow 3 is designed to shoot down intercontinental ballistic missiles and their nuclear, biological, chemical or conventional warheads closer to their launch sites and is a more advanced version of the Arrow and Arrow 2 systems.

Alongside the Iron Dome, Arrow 2 and David’s Sling systems, the Arrow 3 is part of Israel’s layered aerial defence system, developed in coordination with the United States. The Iron Dome defence system provides protection from short and mid-range ballistic threats, typically from Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.  Surface-to-air interceptors including Arrow 3 are designed to counter the threat of longer range missiles, such as the Iranian Shihab-3 missiles.