Israel setting up missile defense center - report

"Defense News": The center will integrate the Arrow, David's Sling and Iron Dome and also defend Arab countries against Iran.

21 June 11 09:17, Ran Dagoni, Washington

Israel's Ministry of Defense is working to integrate all four of the anti-missile defense systems developed in the country into a national command and control center for the interception of enemy missiles. Senior US officials say that this initiative will not only benefit Israel but also US forces stationed in the Middle East and "US allies that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel," US weekly "Defense News" reports.

The initiative involves integration of: the Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 anti-ballistic missile systems that are developed by Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI) (TASE: ARSP.B1) and designed to work together to intercept Iran's long range missiles and other long range missiles; Iron Dome, developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. and IAI's Elta Division, and designed to intercept short range rockets and missiles up to a range of 70 kilometers and provide a solution principally against kassams and katyushot from Gaza and Lebanon; and David's Sling also known as the Magician's Wand, designed to intercept medium range missiles up to a distance of 300 kilometers, developed by Rafael and Raytheon Inc. in the US.

An improved version of the US manufactured Patriot missiles will also be integrated into the planned national command and control center.

Pentagon Missile Defense Agency director Lt. General Patrick O'Reilly told Defense News that the Israeli national command and control center for intercepting missiles would also help the US and its partners in the region to defend themselves against the Iranian threat. He said that all sides benefited from the maneuvers, trials and hundreds of simulations of hardware systems that were being funded jointly by the Israel and US.

Published by Globes, Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on June 21, 2011

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