Israel Racing against War, Upgrades Missile Shield

Israel is racing against an attack by Iran and Syria and is upgrading its US-backed Arrow missile shield, a defense official said.

IsraelNationalNews

By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

First Publish: 8/5/2012, 9:30 AM

An experiment on the Arrow

Israel news photo: IDF spokesman

Israel is racing against an attack by Iran and Syria and is upgrading its US-backed Arrow missile shield in the wake of a possible a chemical weapon attack from Syria, a defense official told Reuters Sunday.

The new “Block 4″ generation of guided interceptor rockets, radars and technologies for synchronizing Arrow with U.S. systems was being installed in deployed Israeli batteries, a process that would take several weeks, the official told the newsagency.

The Arrow system, operational since 2000, is designed to blow up incoming missiles at altitudes high enough for non-conventional warheads to disintegrate safely.

“It is part of the technological race in the region,” added the official, who insisted on anonymity,

Besides the threat of a nuclear threat for Iran in the next year or two, Israel is now preparing for a possible chemical warfare attack from Syria, where the civil war could spur Syrian President Bashar Assad to turn his missiles on Israel. The same situation could arise if Hizbullah, which is thought to have accessed part of the chemical arsenal, decides to attack Israel from Lebanon.

Israel has threatened to attack preemptively in both countries, a prospect that could trigger a wider war and clash with Washington’s efforts to resolve the crises diplomatically.

The Pentagon and U.S. firm Boeing Co. are partners in Arrow, an investment that the Obama administration hopes will help stay the Israelis’ hand, according to Reuters.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said last week that Arrow, like a similar Israeli interceptor for short-range guerrilla rockets, Iron Dome, was “designed to prevent wars”.

Israel is developing Arrow III, which is due to be operational in 2014 or 2015, while deploying the current Arrow II. Unlike previous generations of the interceptor, Arrow III will engage incoming missiles in space, using detachable warheads that, turning into “kamikaze” satellites, will seek out and slam into the target.

Israel is also working on a more powerful rocket interceptor than Iron Dome, known as David’s Sling or Magic Wand, which is due out next year. Meshed together and with U.S. counterparts, the three Israeli systems would form a multi-tier shield providing several opportunities to intercept incoming missiles.

Iron Dome Defenses Increasing by 2013

Two more Iron Dome anti-missile defense systems are to be delivered to Israel by early next year, IDF sources said.

IsraelNationalNews

By Chana Ya’ar

First Publish: 7/29/2012, 8:43 AM

Iron Dome system

Flash 90

 

Two more Iron Dome anti-missile defense systems are to be delivered to Israel by early next year.

In addition, U.S. President Barack Obama signed a bill over the weekend that expanded America‘s defense cooperation with Israel. The bill included a $70 million allocation for the Iron Dome that was approved by the Congress two months ago.

The Iron Dome system is equipped with a battery of three launchers and uses Tamir interceptor missiles to intercept and destroy rockets at ranges of 4 to 70 kilometers.

Both of the systems to be delivered in early 2013 come equipped with a new radar system that spans a wider geographic area, and new, upgraded software.

Thus far, each is to be classified as a reserve unit and will be operated by reservists who have already served their tour of duty, said the IDF source; however, both are on standby for “emergency” situations.

The country already has four such batteries installed in major population centers in the southern region – Ashdod, Ashkelon, Be’er Sheva and most recently, Eilat.

All were installed to intercept rocket attacks fired by Palestinian Authority terrorists from Gaza, mostly members of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror organizations. The Eilatbattery was placed in anticipation of an upswing in attacks following an increase in terror activity in the Sinai Peninsula.

Tags: Iron Dome ,US Congress ,IDF ,rocket

Coming Soon: Iron Dome 2.0

System’s next stage to include advances in interception capabilities and respond to a wider range of threats.

IsraelNationalNews 

By Gil Ronen

First Publish: 6/17/2012, 8:44 PM

Iron Dome in action (file)

Israel news photo: Flash 90

The IAF’s Aerial Defense Formation is already working on additional developments and improvements to the Iron Dome anti-missile defense system, the IAF Website revealed. The next stage of the Iron Dome will include advances in interception capabilities, and will respond to a wider range of threats.

“Soon, we will update the system to the Block 2 version,” said Lt. Col. Shabtai Ben-Bocher, Head of the Lower Layer Wing of the Shield Administration.

“The upgrade will provide the IDF with additional interception capabilities,” he said, “and a variety of improvements that we cannot reveal. Moreover, it’s important to note that the system is constantly upgraded with small-scale improvements.”

Col. Ben-Bocher explained that the original Iron Dome system was developed under severe time constraints, and that this made it necessary to leave some fixes and improvements for later. These improvements are being made now.

Once the development of the second stage is completed, a process expected to take less than a year, work on the third stage (Block 3) is expected to commence. The third stage will include the improvement of the system’s control capabilities.

Today there are three Iron Dome anti-missile batteries stationed in southern Israel, and a fourth battery is to become operational in the near future.

Iron Dome operates day and night and in all climate conditions to intercept shortrange rockets. It is capable of counteracting multiple simultaneous threats. Radars detect a rocket launch and transfer data regarding its route to the command and control system that calculates where it will hit.

If the location threatens lives or property and justifies interception, an intercepting missile is launched against the rocket. Assuming all goes well, the warhead of the intercepting missile explodes near the rocket, and the debris falls harmlessly to the ground.