from: http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2000/09/15/News/News.12318.html Click Here: <A HREF="http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2000/09/15/News/News.12318.html">The Jerusalem Post Newspaper : Online News From�</A> ----- Friday, September 15 2000 12:42 15 Elul 5760 Arrow downs missile By Arieh O'Sullivan PALMAHIM (September 15) - Moving the nation closer to its goal of attaining a missile shield, the Defense Ministry yesterday successfully tested the Arrow-2 anti-ballistic missile, which destroyed an incoming rocket fired at the coast. Ministry officials said the test took place at 11:55 a.m at the Palmahim range. It was the first time that the Arrow, which was declared semi-operational when it was handed over to the air force in March, has been tested against a missile on an attack trajectory. The missile, dubbed the Black Sparrow, was dropped from an IAF F-15 at high altitude and assumed the flight path of a Scud. "Initial results indicate that all components of the weapon system - the Green Pine radar, the Citron Tree fire control center, and the Arrow-2 interceptor - performed as planned," a Defense Ministry statement said. "All the test objectives were achieved and the target was destroyed." The Black Sparrow was developed by Rafael, the Armament Development Authority. Until now, the Arrow missiles have been shooting at US-made, sea-launched rockets under "shooting range" conditions. This time the Arrow-2 had to confront a Scud substitute coming head on. Maj.-Gen. Yitzhak Ben-Yisrael, director of development of weapons systems and infrastructure, said the Black Sparrow was dropped more than 100 kilometers away and the radar tracked it for about five minutes. The fire control system, working out the trajectory, fixed an impact site and launched the Arrow. "There were a few minutes of high tension as we waited for the intercept. It turned out to be metal-on-metal, and everyone shouted out with relief," he told The Jerusalem Post. "We are very satisfied with the initial test results." The experts are now dissecting data from the test. Dani Peretz, director of the Arrow project at Israel Aircraft Industries, which built the missile, told Israel Radio the Arrow flew "accurately and stably" until it reached the target missile. "We know for certain that the target missile was totally destroyed. The weapon system is operational as of today, and if we need it for a day of reckoning, it works," he said. The test was completely run by air force personnel, not technicians from the defense industries which developed and built the system. The test was observed by a delegation from the Pentagon's Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, which will report back to Washington. The US has funded about 65 percent of the $1.1 billion spent on the project so far, and will probably fund about half its final $2b. cost. Prime Minister Ehud Barak praised Israel Aircraft Industries, the main contractor for the system, and other defense industries involved in the project. He said the successful test greatly contributes to Israel's military and strategic might. He added that it manifests the successful cooperation among the defense industries and the country's technological and scientific advances. The test had been postponed at least once in the past three weeks due to various malfunctions. Once the target missile tracking system didn't work properly, and a second malfunction was connected to the F-15 dropping the Black Sparrow. The test was the system's eighth. The last test was conducted on November 1 and was also declared successful. Defense officials described yesterday's test as "routine." Ben-Yisrael said the Arrow-2 would undergo one or two tests a year. Upgrades to enable the Arrow to tackle the more advanced missiles, such as the Shihab-3 and Shihab-4 being developed by Iran, are being planned. The Arrow is designed to strike and destroy a warhead, be it nuclear or other, well before it is supposed to explode. The Arrow-2 system contains a static radar station, batteries, and control center. Its Green Pine radar, developed by Elta, is designed to track incoming missiles from as far as 300 kilometers away. The Citron Tree battle management center, built by Tadiran, will guide the launches of the interceptor, developed by Israel Aircraft Industries' MLM Division. The first battery of the Arrow missiles is deployed in the center of the country. A second battery is to be placed east of Hadera, but that has been delayed by strong opposition from residents, who claim its radar would be hazardous to their health. Last month, arbitrators said the air force could prepare infrastructure for the Arrow-2 battery, but could deploy it only in a national emergency. The Defense Ministry rejected this. It had originally been planned to deploy just two batteries, but funding for a third battery has since been promised. The US Congress approved $81.6 million toward the purchase of a third battery, whose total cost is estimated at $170m. The cost could be reduced if the Arrow-2 is sold to other countries which have expressed interest, such as Great Britain, Turkey, Japan, and reportedly India. Ben-Yisrael warned that the announced reduction in the defense budget would harm weapons projects, including the Arrow-2. "We don't know what the final budget will be, as we don't know whether the decision to cut is final. But if it is, then it means that all our projects will be harmed, this one included," he said. � 1995-2000, The Jerusalem Post - All rights reserved, ----- Aloha, He'Ping, Om, Shalom, Salaam. Em Hotep, Peace Be, All My Relations. Omnia Bona Bonis, Adieu, Adios, Aloha. Amen. 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