ISRAEL AND THE UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) have held discussions on two highly sensitive missile programmes, with at least one missile being offered to the Royal Air Force.
Senior MoD officials from the UK's ballistic-missile-defence research programme are understood to have visited Israel recently to be briefed on its Arrow system.
The UK has under way a funded British Aerospace-led programme examining possible ballistic-missile defence architectures. As well as the Arrow, the UK MoD has also been briefed on the Rafael Python 4 short-range infrared (IR)-guided missile.
Whitehall sources say that Israel has tentatively offered to supply a limited number of the missiles as an interim fit for some of the RAF's front-line combat aircraft until the BAe Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM), enters service around the turn of the century.
The RAF, like other air forces, is concerned about the perceived gulf in performance between even late-model AIM-9 Sidewinder IR-guided missiles and the latest generation of Russian IR-guided missile, the Vympel R-73 (AA-11 Archer).
The R-73 is being offered for export as the standard short-range IR-guided missiles on Russian combat aircraft.
It is understood, however, that while the Python 4 marks a great improvement over the AIM-9, there is no funding available for even a limited procurement.
Some sources also suggest that the RAF would be unlikely to push for a Python 4 procurement, in case it undermines support for the ASRAAM. Although the UK has delayed indefinitely its medium surface-to-air missile programme, the requirement for a mobile ballistic-missile-defence system still exists.
In part, this is being driven by the perceived need to be able to protect ground forces operating "out-of-area" against attack by Scud-type short-range ballistic missiles.
Source: Flight International