US-Israel Arrow-3 Marks Milestone Test

The US-Israel Arrow-3 upper tier intercepting missile passed another developmental milestone with a successful exo-atmospheric maneuvering flight after launch over the Mediterranean Sea on Friday.

In a joint statement, Israel’s Defense Ministry and the Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency said the Arrow-3 “successfully launched and flew an exo-atmospheric trajectory through space, according to the test plan.”

The fly-out of the two-stage, hit-to-kill missile marked the second in a series of developmental milestones aimed at readying the system for a full-up intercept test in early 2015. It follows a successful maiden flight in February 2013.

Planned for initial fielding in late 2015 or early 2016, Arrow-3 is designed as Israel’s first line of defense against emerging threats from Iran. Supported by the same fire control radar and battle management systems developed for Israel’s operational Arrow-2, the smaller and much more agile Arrow-3 aims to destroy advanced, maneuvering, unconventionally tipped Shahab-class missiles in space before they re-enter Earth’s atmosphere.

Israel’s planned upper tier layer of Arrow-3 active defense will be buttressed by the Arrow-2, which both countries continue to upgrade for intercepting missions high within Earth’s atmosphere.

State-owned Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is prime contractor for both Arrow missiles, with significant content produced in the United States by Boeing. IAI also provides the Super Green Pine fire control radar, while Elbit’s Tadiran provides the system’s battle management control center. [via]