Israel, U.S. Test Arrow-3 Anti-Ballistic Missile System

Israel and the U.S. have completed a successful flight test of the Arrow-3 ballistic missile interceptor, the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced on Tuesday.

At a test site in central Israel, the ballistic missile interceptor detected and destroyed a target in outer space, the ministry said in a statement.

U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Director Jon Hill said the test was designed to "challenge every element of the Arrow Weapon System, and it performed beautifully." Hill added the MDA remains committed to assisting Israel in upgrading its missile defense capability.

The Arrow 3 weapon system, a more advanced model of the Arrow and Arrow 2 models, was declared operational in January 2017. The air defense system, developed as a joint project with the U.S., is designed to shoot down ballistic missiles — like those Israel fears Iran may one day launch at it — while the incoming projectile is still outside the earth’s atmosphere. It is part of Israel's multi-layer defense system, which includes Iron Dome, a system aimed at intercepting short-range rockets from Gaza, David's Sling, a medium to long-range missiles defense system, and the long-range Arrow-3.

In 2021, Israel said it was developing a new ballistic shield system, dubbed Arrow-4, jointly with the United States.