Israel and US successfully test long-range Arrow-3 missiles over Alaska that defend against projectile weapons shot from Iran
- Israel and the U.S. successfully tested the Arrow 3 missile defense system in Kodiak, Alaska, the two nations say
- Israel intends to use the jointly developed system to defend against potential long-range missiles fired from Iran
- The series of tests took place over the course of 10 days and saw three successful interceptions of an ‘enemy’ target
- The tests came after a year of delays and are a part of a reported $80million contract between MDA and the Alaska Aerospace Corp
- Tests come days after Iran test-fired a Shahab-3 medium-range ballistic missile
- The tests also come amid rising international tensions between the U.S. and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program and missile projects
The U.S. and Israel have successfully tested the Arrow 3 missile defense system over Alaska.
The series of tests of the long-range Arrow 3 ballistic missile defense system took place at the Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska (PSCA) located in Kodiak, Alaska, as a defense measure against Iran’s long-range missiles.
The series of tests took place over the course of 10 days and saw three successful interceptions of an ‘enemy’ target, according to the Jerusalem Post.
The defense system tests against targets that behave similarly to the advanced ballistic missiles being developed by Iran.
The test, the first to take place outside of Israel, comes as the U.S. and Israel remain suspicious of Iran and its continued work on its nuclear program and ballistic missile program, despite international calls for it to end.
Israel and the U.S. have successfully tested the Arrow 3 missile defense system over Alaska, officials say. This image handed out by the Israeli Ministry of Defense shows the launch of the Arrow-3 hypersonic anti-ballistic missile at an undisclosed location in Alaska
The series of tests took place over the course of 10 days and saw three successful interceptions of an ‘enemy’ target at the Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska (PSCA) located in Kodiak, Alaska
The jointly-created system will shield Israel from long-range missiles from Iran as well as rockets from Gaza and Lebanon.
‘Ten challenging years of development have culminated in this moment: the Arrow 3 weapon system completed a test campaign, during which an Arrow 3 interceptor completed full interception of the target,’ Moshe Patel, director of the Israel Missile Defense Organization, said.
‘In addition, the fact that the tests were conducted in Alaska, tens of thousands of kilometers away from Israel, is another significant achievement that demonstrates the operational capabilities of the Arrow 3 system to successfully face any threat,’ he added.
‘These successful tests mark a major milestone in the development of the Arrow Weapon System,’ Jon Hill, the Vice Admiral director of the Missile Defense Agency said.
This image shows the launch of the Arrow-3 hypersonic anti-ballistic missile at an undisclosed location in Alaska
Israel’s U.S.-backed Arrow-3 ballistic missile shield is seen during a series of live interception tests over Alaska
The tests came after a year of delays and are a part of a reported $80million contract between MDA and the Alaska Aerospace Corp
The test followed just days after Iran test-fired a Shahab-3 medium-range ballistic missile on Friday from the country’s coastline along the Gulf of Oman and the missile crashed 620miles (1,000km) away in northern Iran
‘This unique success in Alaska provides confidence in future Israeli capabilities to defeat the developing threats in the region. We are committed to assisting the government of Israel in upgrading its national missile defense capability to defend the State of Israel from emerging threats,’ he added.
The tests came after a year of delays and are a part of a reported $80million contract between MDA and the Alaska Aerospace Corp.
The test had to take place in Alaska because Israel had ‘limited ability’ to shut down airspace over the Mediterranean Sea.
‘Arrow 3 is too big for the state of Israel,’ Patel said. ‘It is supposed to be good against nuclear threats that are coming from Iran. We have limitations in our arena to conduct flight tests because of safety.’
Israel’s last successful missile test was in January.
Meanwhile in Tehran, Iran test-fired a Shahab-3 medium-range ballistic missile on Friday from the country’s coastline along the Gulf of Oman and the missile crashed 620miles (1,000km) away in northern Iran adding to rising international tensions between the U.S. and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program and missile projects.