Israel is developing a new multi-system approach to deal with the growing threat of long range ballistic missiles. A Ministry of Defence-funded team is working on new methods to detect and destroy ballistic and cruise missiles.
The effort is a result of a recent assessment of the threat, mainly, the Israelis believe, from Iran. The reassessment has raised questions as to the capability of weapons under development, which include systems such as the Israeli Aircraft Industries Arrow anti-tactical ballistic missile, to protect the country from weapons which are armed with conventional and non-conventional warheads.
The MoD is investing in the study in an effort to redefine the threat and to recommend methods to counter it. Cruise and ballistic missiles with improved accuracy are likely to be at the centre of the response now being formulated by the study.
The work will also concentrate on methods - which will probably be space-based - to locate enemy launchers and enable the Israelis to intercept missiles before or just after lift-off.
Israel is also known to have been looking at possible applications for armed, high altitude, long endurance unmanned air vehicles as a possible solution to the quick response issue.
Source: Flight International