Israel upgrades Arrow missile defense system

An Israeli official told Reuters that the upgrade was "part of the technological race in the region."

5 August 12 11:50, Globes correspondent

A day after Iran's announcement that if had carried out a successful trial of an improved 300 kilometer-range ballistic missile, Reuters reports that Israeli is upgrading its Arrow missile defense system. According to the report, the upgrade is part of an arms race, backed by the US against Iran, Syria, and other hostile elements in the region.

An unnamed Israeli official source told Reuters that the new "Block 4" generation of the Arrow, which includes technologies for synchronizing with US systems, was being installed over a period of weeks.

"The accuracy and the reach will be greater," the official told Reuters of the new generation of the system, which is designed to blow up incoming missiles at high altitude, adding, "It is part of the technological race in the region."

Reuters points out that the Pentagon and US firm Boeing are partners in Arrow, and comments that this is an investment that the Obama administration hopes will help stay the Israelis' hand as it faces the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran. Reuters quotes US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta as having said last week that Arrow, like the short-range rocket interceptor system Iron Dome, was "designed to prevent wars".

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on August 5, 2012

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