Arrow missile

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Arrow 2 ATBM Missile

Arrow anti-ballistic missile launch
Type anti-ballistic missile
Place of origin  Israel and  United States
Service history
In service 2000–[1]
Used by  Israel
Production history
Manufacturer Israel Aerospace Industries, Boeing, Elta, Tadiran Telecom, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems
Unit cost US$3 million
Specifications
Weight 1,300 kg[2]
Length 7 m[2]
Diameter 800 mm[2]
Warhead directed high explosive fragmentation[2]
Engine Two stage
Operational
range		 90 km[2]
Flight altitude 50 km[2]
Speed Mach 9[2]
Guidance
system		 dual mode: passive infrared seeker and an active radar seeker
Launch
platform		 6 canisters per ground launcher[2]

The Arrow or Hetz (Hebrew: חץ‎, /xɛts/ - arrow) is a family of Israeli anti-ballistic missiles, jointly developed and founded by Israel and United States. A theater missile defense system, consisting of the joint production Arrow interceptor, Elta EL/M-2080 "Green Pine" early-warning AESA radar,[3] the Tadiran Telecom "Yellow Citron" ("Citron Tree"), C3I center and the Israel Aerospace Industries "Brown Hazelnut" ("Hazelnut Tree") launch control center. The whole missile defense system is also called "Arrow" or "Hetz". Arrow became the first missile defense system that was specifically designed and built to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles on a national level.

Contents

[edit] Development

The Arrow system is designed and constructed in Israel and with financial support by the United States and Israel in a multi-billion dollar development program (said to be $2 billion USD to date). The Israeli Ministry of Defence runs the Arrow development project under the name "Minhelet Homa" (Hebrew: מנהלת חומה‎ - "Fence Administration") which binds together Israel's different security industries.

[edit] Arrow 1 history

The Arrow project began after the U.S. and Israel agreed to co-fund it on May 6, 1986.[4]. The demonstrator phase of the program began in 1988 when the US Department of Defense Strategic Defense Initiative placed a contract on the Electronics Division of Israel Aerospace Industries to build and test the Arrow 1.[2] The first Arrow test was carried out in 1900, but initial tests failed.[1] The Gulf War, which exposed the the nonsuccess of MIM-104 Patriot against Iraqi Scuds, pushed the development of the Arrow project, until finally in June 12, 1994 Arrow 1 successfully intercepted a target missile was launched from a ship in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. The test became known as Arrow Demonstration Test 1 (ATD#1).[1] The Arrow 1 never put in service, but further development of Arrow 1 immediately lead to Arrow 2.

[edit] Arrow 2 validation

4 successful separate tests of the interceptor and the subsystems held between August 1995 and March 1997 (IIT#21, IIT#22, AIT#21, AIT#22).[1] Another interception test was conducted in August 1997, but aborted due to a fault in the interceptor (AIT#23).[1] The irregularity was corrected to ensure the success of the next test.[1] The first full system test took place on September 14, 1998. (AST#3). All system elements successfully countered a computer-simulated threat.[1] On November 29, 1998. Israel Aerospace Industries delivered the first operational Arrow 1 interceptor to the Israeli Ministry of Defense.[1]

A full system interception test (AST#4) held on November 1, 1999. During this test the Arrow system located, tracked and intercepted a TM-91C target missile, that was launched on a very steep trajectory from a ship located offshore, simulating a Scud missile.[1][5] The IAI TM-91C itself was a target missile based on the Arrow 1 interceptor.[6] On March 14, 2000 a rollout ceremony for the first complete Arrow 2 battery took place[1] in Palmachim Airbase. Aluf Eitan Ben Eliyahu, Israeli Air Force (IAF) commander, said:[1]

"This is a great day for the Air Defense Forces, for the Air Force, the defense establishment and, I would say, for the State of Israel. As of today, we have completed the acceptance of the only weapon system of its kind in the entire world. We are the first-to succeed in developing, building and operating a defense system against ballistic missiles".

On September 14, 2000 another test wast held (AST#5) with a new target missile. Rafael Advanced Defense Systems' "Black Sparrow" airborne ballistic target missile was launched toward Israeli's coastline from an IAF F-15 aircraft at a ballistic trajectory simulating an aggressor Scud.[7] The target was destroyed as expected. Consequently, a month later the battery was declared operational by the Israeli Air Defense Network.[1] Also since then, the "Black Sparrow" has participated as the aggressor target in AST#5, AST#6, AST#9 and AST#10 tests.[8]

[edit] Arrow 2 evolution

On July 29, 2004, Israel and the United States carried out a joint test flight in the USA in which the Arrow was launched against a real Scud missile. The test was a success, with the Arrow destroying the Scud with a direct hit. In December 2005 the system was successfully tested again in a firing against a replicated Scud C as Shahab-3 missile. This test success was repeated on February 11, 2007.[9]

Following the July 2004 tests, the Defense Minister of Israel, Shaul Mofaz, said "this is a central plank of Israel's defense ability. The success of the test is further proof of the technological superiority of the Israeli Defense Industries".[10]

On or about April 7, 2009, Israel test intercepted of a dummy missile, which was the 17th test of the Arrow system. Israeli defense officials said the interceptor was an upgraded Arrow II, designed to counter Iran's Shahab ballistic missile.[11]

[edit] Arrow 3 perspective

By May 2009 the United States and Israel have initiated development of an upper-tier component to the Israeli Missile Defense architecture, commonly known as 'Arrow 3'. The development is based on an architecture definition study conducted in 2006-2007, determining the need for the upper-tier component to be integrated into Israel's Ballistic Missile Defense system. According to Arieh Herzog, Director of Israel's Missile Defense Program, the main element of this upper tier will be an exo-atmospheric interceptor, to be jointly developed by Israel Aerospace Industries, (IAI) and Boeing. [12]

[edit] Specifications

The ABM system is meant to intercept medium- and short-range ballistic missiles and was designed with an eye towards the current advanced missile programs of Iran and the former threat of Iraq under Saddam Hussein. The system is built around the Arrow missiles, the "Yellow Citron" (Citron Tree) control system and the IAI EL/M-2080 "Green Pine" radar target tracking system. In actual use, the system would be aided by American Defense Support Program satellites that can detect and report the flare as missiles are launched. The first operational system was deployed in central Israel, at the Palmachim IAF Base on the Mediterranean coast, on March 14, 2000. The latest missile is known as the Arrow II and is still being evaluated for improvement.

The Arrow system is controlled by an officer who can evaluate the trajectory and decide if one of the advanced Arrow missiles should be launched. There are six missile tubes in each launcher, and each missile can be launched to a separate target. Confirmation of this and other abilities was demonstrated in a recent test — the 10th for the Arrow interceptor and the 5th for the complete system — when four of the six missiles were launched at virtual targets during joint U.S.-Israeli exercises.

[edit] Deployment

A first Operational Battery was Deployed in March 2000. After many delays that included a legal confrontation between local residents concerning the planned second battery location (residents were concerned about possible radiation hazards from the powerful Green Pine radar system), the situation was resolved and the battery was deployed near Hadera on October 2002. A third Battery was deployed at Palmahim in 2007.

[edit] Export

Israel was in negotiations with India to sell the system to that country, but US arms-control regulations blocked the sale of the actual missiles - though the Green Pine radar system was sold to India, which is manufacturing derivatives of it for her own Ballistic Missile Defense Program.

Talks regarding the sale of Israeli Ofeq satellites along with the Arrow air-defence systems to Turkey have taken place, a sale pending American approval. The systems would be a generational leap for the Turkish military and intelligence capabilities, which are concerned about Iran's nuclear program.[13] On 6 December 2007, the Turkish Defense Industry's (SSM) Executive Committee, eliminated Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) (Ofeq satellite) from Turkey's Göktürk electro-optical satellite project and also the Arrow missile defence system from the Turkish High Altitude Missile Shield project tender.[14]. It must be noted that Russia has offered Turkey co-production of the S-400 Triumf Missile defence system with full technology transfer[15][16]. Thus, it could be said that this was the reason for rejecting the Arrow offer from Israel.

There have also been talks about using the Arrow as part of a multi-tier ABM system by the US.

On January 31, 2007, it was published that the South Korean government will purchase 36 Arrow 2 missiles and 6 Green Pine radars.[17]

[edit] Operators

 Israel

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Story of the Arrow Weapon System". 2009. http://www.mod.gov.il/pages/homa/bg.htm. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Arrow 2 Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence System, Israel". 2009. http://www.army-technology.com/projects/arrow2/. 
  3. ^ http://www.iai.co.il/17660-27136-en/default.aspx
  4. ^ Almanac of Policy Issues, Israeli-United States Relations, October 17, 2002
  5. ^ http://www.mod.gov.il/pages/homa/at.htm
  6. ^ http://www.mod.gov.il/pages/homa/tm91c.htm
  7. ^ http://www.mod.gov.il/pages/homa/test05.htm
  8. ^ http://www.mod.gov.il/pages/homa/blackSp.htm
  9. ^ BBC News Online, Israeli missile test 'successful', 11 February 2007
  10. ^ Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson, The 'Arrow' System Test- A Strategic Accomplishment
  11. ^ Fox News: Israel Successfully Tests Anti-Missile System to Protect Against Iran
  12. ^ Defense-Update: Israel, U.S. to Embark on Collaborative 'Upper-Tier' Missile Intercept Program to include Arrow 3 and Land-Based SM-3 Missiles
  13. ^ Yaakov Katz (November 12, 2007). "Israel may sell Arrow and Ofek to Turkey". The Jerusalem Post. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?c=JPArticle&cid=1192380787827&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull. Retrieved on 2007-11-12. 
  14. ^ Turkey eliminates Israel from Göktürk satellite project
  15. ^ Russia renews missile offer to Turkey
  16. ^ TURKEY PONDERS RUSSIAN MISSILE OFFER
  17. ^ (Korean) Daily Economics [단독수조원 들여 미사일 잡는 방어시스템 도입 검토] 2007-01-31

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrow_missile"
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