Visitors to the Paris air show will have the chance to view operational elements of the advanced Israeli Arrow anti-ballistic missile system, which is being displayed outside the Jewish state for the first time.
Israel Aircraft Industries have a launcher, fire control system and a surrogate missile on display outside the Israeli pavilion. It is likely to attract a lot of attention from missile watchers at Paris.
IAI's MLM division is the prime contractor to the Israeli Ministry of Defence, leading a team that also includes IAI's Elta division and Tadiran Systems. ELTA is responsible for the early warning/fire control radar and Taadiran provides the fire control centre.
The full weapon system was successfully tested on 14 September, 1998, with a simulated target being intercepted. IAI spokesmen say the system "performed perfectly, placing the interceptor [missile] into the right place at the right time."
"Had there been an actual incoming ballistic missile, it would have been destroyed. This test was a momentous milestone for both the Arrow programme and anti-ballistic missile programmes in general."
In November 1998 another milestone was achieved when the first fully operational missiles were delivered by IAI/MLM to the Israeli Ministry of Defence.
Source: Flight Daily News
