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Joint U.S.-Israel Arrow Weapon System Intercepts Target During Successful Missile Defense Test

11-NEWS-0002
February 22, 2011

The joint U.S.-Israel Arrow Weapon System successfully intercepted a ballistic target missile during a flight test conducted today. This test is part of the Arrow System Improvement Program (ASIP) and was conducted jointly by the Israel Missile Defense Organization and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency at the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division-Pt. Mugu Sea Range.

At 10:30 p.m. local time (Pacific Standard Time), the target missile was launched from a Mobile Launch Platform (MLP) off the coast of California, within the Pt. Mugu test range. The target was representative of potential ballistic missile threats facing Israel.

The Arrow Weapon System's Green Pine radar successfully detected and tracked the target and transferred information to the Citron Tree battle management control system. The Arrow Weapon System launched an interceptor missile which performed its planned trajectory and destroyed the target missile. The test represented a realistic scenario and all the elements of the weapon system performed in their operational configuration.

The Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) and U.S. Department of Defense officials conducted the flight test. The main contractor for the integration and the development of the Arrow Weapon System is the MLM division of the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The "Green Pine" Radar is developed by ELTA Industries and the "Citron Tree" BMC is developed by Tadiran Electronic Systems, Ltd.

The success of the test is a major milestone in the development of the Arrow Weapon System and provides confidence in operational Israeli capabilities to defeat the developing ballistic missile threat.