Israel tested its Arrow 2 anti-tactical ballistic missile system in night conditions on 11 February. The missile was launched at 21:18 from the operational battery deployed at the Israeli air force's Palmachim base in central Israel.
A second Arrow battery took part in the detection process using its Green Pine radar. The target, a Rafael Black Sparrow missile, was launched from a Boeing F-15. The Arrow 2 destroyed the target with its fragmentation warhead activated by the special proximity fuse.
The Arrow 2 used in the test was assembled by the MLM division of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), using parts manufactured in Israel and in the USA by Boeing. The two companies have signed a co-operation agreement for the joint production of the Arrow 2 missile.
Sources say the Arrow 2 used in the test is an improved version capable of intercepting advanced long-range ballistic missiles such as Iran's Shihab-3. IAI and the Israeli air force are planning another test of the system soon, using an improved Arrow 2.5. Details of the weapon are classified, but it will be capable of intercepting incoming ballistic missiles at longer ranges and higher altitudes than the current Arrow 2.
Source: Flight International