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Arrow missile intercepts incoming target
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| 18 September 2000 |
Arrow missile intercepts incoming target
STEVE RODAN JDW
Correspondent
Tel Aviv
An Arrow 2 anti-tactical
ballistic missile (ATBM) achieved its first frontal interception of a
target missile aimed at Israel on 15 September.
Israeli defence officials said that the Arrow 2 ATBM defence system successfully
tracked and destroyed an incoming Rafael Armaments Development Authority
of Israel Black Sparrow target missile fired at the Israeli coast from
the Mediterranean (Jane's Defence Weekly 9 August).
The target missile was for the first time fired from a Boeing F-15 fighter
rather than launched from the ground. It was programmed to simulate the
profile of a 'Scud B' missile.
Israeli officials said the Black Sparrow was tracked by the Green Pine
Radar system, manufactured by Elta Electronics Industries, a subsidiary
of Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI). The Citron Tree fire control centre
then launched the Arrow 2 from the Palmahim air force base south of Tel
Aviv. The missile intercepted and destroyed the Black Sparrow in a head-on
strike. In previous tests, the Arrow pursued the target missile over the
Mediterranean.
IAI executives said the missile system is operational in all but name,
and that all of the subsystems performed as planned.
"Today, we established the fact the system is operational and, when
we need it, the system will function," IAI's Arrow manager Danny
Peretz said.
"By 2001, the system will be fully operational," IAI president
Moshe Keret added.
Israeli defence sources said the Black Sparrow was a far more difficult
target to hit than the previously used Coleman Aerospace Hera target tactical
ballistic missile, principally because the Rafael projectile had a warhead
that was one-tenth the size of the Hera. This made tracking the Black
Sparrow a far greater challenge.
Israel officials said that last week's success came after Israel aborted
two previously planned launches of the Arrow because of technical problems
with the Black Sparrow system.
The Arrow is a joint US-Israeli project for which Washington provided
some 65% of the $1.1 billion development funding spent so far. The Israel
Defence Force declared its first Arrow 2 battery operational in March
and plans to procure a further two batteries (JDW 22 March).
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| Graphic illustrates how the Arrow 2 intercepted a Black Sparrow target missile fired from a Boeing F-15 fighter on 15 September (Source: IAI) |