Israel and USA to Jointly Develop SRBM Missile Defense

Layered ABM defense(click to view full) Defense Update editor Tamir Eshel writes to let us know that Raytheon Company and Rafael Armament Development Authority have been selected by the Israel Ministry of Defense’ Defense Research and development Directorate (DDRD) to develop a new terminal missile defense interceptor for low-cost, short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) threats. Israeli planners see SRBMs as cheap, plentiful, easily concealed, largely exempt from international arms control accords, and capable of being transformed into deadly threats if/ when fitted with unconventional warheads and deployed in large quantities. Accordingly, Israel and the US have agreed to jointly develop a new Short Range Missile Defense (SRMD) capability that will complement its existing Arrow and Patriot PAC-2 GEM+ systems, one optimized via its design and cost to defend against rockets with ranges of 70 – 200 km… Arrow test concept(click to view full) The new system will establish a lower tier, complementing the Israeli Arrow theater area air defense (THAAD) system, and will be managed by the Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) which already supervises Israel’s overall ballistic missile defense program. It will be based on an interceptor under development by RAFAEL, in collaboration with Patriot missile system manufacturer Raytheon. The […]