Elta anti-missile system chosen to protect passenger aircraft

Company sources: Installing the system on all airliners in Israel will cost $50 million.

The General Security Services acted as an operations consultant in the selection process, and the Ministry of Defense Armaments Research and Development Administration was the professional consultant.

Elta expressed satisfaction at the choice, but also concern over the delay in the budget allocation for the procurement. “The system is the only one in Israel that has been tested against real missiles,” said a company source, who conducted the negotiations with the Ministries of Defense and Transport.

”We were notified of the choice three weeks ago. The system is in the process of being licensed by the Israel Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA),” the source said.

”Unfortunately, the Ministries of Defense and Finance are quarreling over the budget. Estimates are that it will cost about $50 million to provide all of Israel’s passenger jets with anti-missile systems. The Ministry of Defense made it clear that it would not pay for the procurement,” the source added.

The Ministry of Defense said in response, “Implementing the project is the responsibility of the Ministry of Transport, in cooperation with other government ministries, including the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Defense. The Ministry of Defense offered its professional assistance on its own initiative in managing the development of the system. It cost a lot of money, which was not allocated to the Ministry of Defense.”

The Ministry of Transport said in response, “The anti-missile system was approved at a meeting between the Minister of Transport and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, in coordination with the Ministers of Finance and Defense. Details will not be disclosed, but the short and long-term budget and technical questions have been completely settled.”

Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on September 4, 2003