Israel is reshaping its deployment strategy for the Israel Aircraft Industries/Boeing Arrow anti-ballistic missile system, a move that has halted plans to install the country's third battery of interceptors.
The first Arrow battery, which consists of a fire control radar, command and control unit and launcher, became operational in 2000. A second battery was activated two years later, and both were on line during Operation Iraqi Freedom, although no missiles were fired at Israel during that conflict.
With the Iraqi threat gone, Israel has decided to centralise its command and control structure for ballistic-missile defence as it faces potentially more dangerous threats from Iran and Syria, says Arieh Herzog, director of Israel's Missile Defence Organisation (MDO).
The new system will feature a single command and control site to co-ordinate various launching sites around the country, says Herzog. So far, each battery had its own Citron Tree command and control system. In the future, a central unit will get the inputs from all the different Elbit-made Green Pine radars, and will decide which launcher will fire the missiles.
It is not clear if the new strategy will require more launchers than the three already acquired. The hardware for the stalled third battery, including radar, launcher and Arrow missiles, is ready to be deployed, adds Herzog.
In a successful intercept test at a California test range last week, the MDO verified one of the components of the new Arrow deployment strategy. Herzog says the radar and command and control centre was based about 100km (60 miles) from the launch site during the test.
The MDO and the US Army, which are now evenly splitting their investment in the development programme, are also working on a number of capability upgrades to keep pace with Iran's evolving ballistic-missile threat, says Herzog.
STEPHEN TRIMBLE / WASHINGTON DC
Source: Flight International