Israel and the United States have completed a planned test of the Arrow Weapon System as the two allies continue efforts to strengthen defences against long-range ballistic missile threats from Iran and Yemen.According to Israel’s ministry of defence, the test was conducted on Wednesday by the Israeli Missile Defense Organization (IMDO), in cooperation with the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA), the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), from a test site in central Israel.The Arrow system is the top layer of Israel’s multi-layered air and missile defence network, alongside David’s Sling, Iron Dome and Iron Beam. The ministry said Arrow had intercepted numerous ballistic threats launched from Iran and Yemen over the past three years, including missiles in space and in the exo-atmosphere.The ministry said the test formed part of a multi-year programme to develop and upgrade the Arrow system, which includes Arrow 2 and Arrow 3. It said the system had demonstrated “unprecedented, groundbreaking capabilities on a global scale in the aerial and missile defense domain”.Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz said the test demonstrated the country’s defence capabilities and the system’s operational role.“Today’s Arrow system test is further proof of the strength of Israel’s defense establishment, its defense industries, and its technological capabilities. The Arrow system has proven itself in war, successfully intercepting numerous threats from Iran and other arenas and protecting Israel’s citizens.”The Arrow missile defence system is designed to intercept long-range ballistic missiles at high altitudes, including outside the atmosphere. It forms the highest layer of Israel’s multi-tiered air and missile defence network, with Arrow 2 & 3 providing protection against different ballistic missile threats. The system has been developed jointly by Israel and the US over several years, with Washington supporting its development and production.Katz added that Israel was continuing to upgrade the system. “We’re constantly upgrading its capabilities, and Israel stays ready at all times, for both current and future threats,” he said.IMOD director Moshe Patel said the latest test incorporated lessons from recent fighting and new technologies.The ministry said development and production of Arrow are led by the Israeli defence establishment in partnership with the US MDA, with IAI serving as the prime developer.
