The Ministry of Defense states that the ballistic objects reported in the eastern Mediterranean earlier today were a US-Israeli test. At 9:15 am today, the Ministry of Defense's Homa Administration and the US Department of Defense Missile Defense Agency carried out a successful test involving a Sparrow target missile (known as the Ankor in Hebrew), to test radar systems.
Russian radar spotted the missiles, and Western commentators believed that it was a US test ahead of a possible strike against Syria.
"The test conducted this morning in the Mediterranean was from an Air Force Base in central Israel. The test examined the improved capabilities of the new Ankor target missile, and included tests of the missile defense systems of the Arrow systems, including the radar and command and control systems," stated the Ministry of Defense in a statement.
The Arrow's Green Pine radar detected the Sparrow target missile, sent the missile's data to the fire control center, which examined and analyzed them. Other detection and monitoring systems also tracked the target missile.
The Russian media reported that the country's defense systems detected two "ballistic objects" in the Mediterranean heading toward Syria. Britain's "Sky News" said that this was a test of systems by US destroyers ahead of a possible strike. Hezbollah's television station "Al Manar" quoted a Syrian source as saying that the missiles fell into the sea.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on September 3, 2013
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