Arrow Missile Program
(Updated December 2014)
The Arrow antitactical ballistic missile program is one of the
centerpieces of the U.S.-Israel
It is one of the most advanced missile defense systems
in existence and when fully operational will offer Israel an essential
capability against Scud-type ballistic missiles. The program will also
provide the U.S. with key research and technology for other theater
missile defense programs.
Given Israel's small size the same as New Jersey all ballistic missiles deployed by hostile Mideast powers represent
a potential strategic threat to the existence of the Jewish
state. Thus, Israel must have an area antiballistic
missile defense network, based on a high-altitude interceptor like the
Arrow, to provide overall protection for the country's whole population.
Arrow's design is therefore optimized for the specific
requirements of Israel's operational environment.
The range and speed of Arrow capable of reaching
a height of 30 miles at nine times the speed of sound will allow
hostile missiles to be intercepted high enough so that any weapons of
mass destruction would not detonate or be dispersed over Israel. This
also allows time for a second Arrow missile to be fired if it is determined
that the first has not intercepted the incoming target. It is supposed
to detect and track missiles as far away as 300 miles and then disable
the incoming warhead by exploding within 40 to 50 yards of the target.
The system has no way to distinguish between types
of warheads; therefore, it was designed to destroy all types.
Tests of the Arrow also led to the determination that
should it intercept a missile with a chemical weapon warhead, no chemical
agents would reach the ground given the warhead was destroyed above
the jet stream. The jet stream flows from west to east so anything that
comes down from the destroyed warhead should be blown back to the sender,
according to Uzi Rubin, the former head of the Arrow program.
The joint effort took a dramatic step forward during
the summer of 1995 with the first test flight of the new Arrow
2. A year earlier, an experimental Arrow 1 missile intercepted
and completely destroyed a target missile in Israel. On September 14,
1998, a second successful
test was conducted and on November 1, 1999, yet another successful
test of the Arrow was conducted by the Israeli
Air Force and Israel deployed the first battery of Arrow missiles
on March 14, 2000.
The system is designed to intercept as many as 14 incoming
missiles. The first test of its ability to launch multiple missiles at different targets was
conducted in January 2003. In seven interception tests, six have been
After meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai in the U.S. on March 27, 1998, U.S. Defense Secretary
William Cohen indicated that Washington has agreed to expand the joint
Arrow anti-missile project and provide $45 million in funding for a
third battery of missiles for Israel. Cohen told reporters, that the
U.S. is committed to maintaining Israel's qualitative edge, and
we...concur that there is a need, for example, for Israel to acquire
a third Arrow battery, and we will cooperate as best we can to see that
The system's development is jointly funded by the
United States and Israel. Since 1988, the United States has provided
Israel with more than $1 billion in grants for research and development
of the Arrow through the defense budget. President Bush requested $60
million for the Arrow for FY2003. The 2004 budget also includes a request
for $136 million for the Arrow, of which $66 million is for an improvement
program and $70 million for production. The U.S. has also provided funding
for two programs to compliment the Arrow, the Boost Phase Intercept
program ($53 million) and the Tactical
High Energy Laser ($139 million).
December 2015 - Arrow-3
December 2014 - Arrow-3
September 2014 - Arrow-2
January 2014 - Arrow-3
Sept 2013 - Radar Systems
July 2013 - Arrow-3
Feb 2013 - Arrow-3
Feb 2012 - Radar Systems
July 2011 - Arrow-3
Feb 2011 - Arrow-2
April 2008 - Radar Sytems
March 2007 - Arrow-2
Feb 2007 - Nighttime
Dec 2005 - Ballistic Interception
August 2004 - Failure in Action
July 2004 - Interception Success
Dec 2003 - Arrow-2
January 2003 - Multiple Launch
August 2001 - Arrow-2
Sept 2000 - Interception Test
Nov 1999 - Arrow-1
Sept 1998 - Arrow-1
The Arrow program has provided the United States with
a wide range of technical and operational data and experience that benefit
similar American weapons development projects such as the THAAD missile,
also designed counter missile attacks. As of now, however, the U.S.
Army says it will not procure the Arrow for American use.
Two Arrow batteries have been deployed, one at the
Palmachim base to provide cover for Tel
Aviv and another near the city of Hadera.
A third battery is in development, and will have twice the range of
Arrow 2 even though it is significantly smaller and weighs half as much.
In December 2005, Israel tested
the Arrow missile against a mock-up of an Iranian Shihab-3 missile.
The Arrow successfully intercepted the missile during the test to expand
its range to a higher altitude and to evaluate the interface between
the Arrow and the Patriot missile system.
Arrow tests continue on a regular basis. In 2011 and 2012, Israel
Aerospace Industries (IAI) tested the Arrow-3, a new missile in the
program designed to destroy, in space, medium-range ballistic missiles fired from countries such as Iran before they reenter Earth's
atmosphere. Once fully operational, Arrow
3 will be the most advanced missile defense system in the world. The interceptor missile for Arrow-3 is smaller, more agile and flies faster and higher than any previous anti-missile system and the price of the interceptor is expected to be cheaper than that of current models.
In response to the succesful test of Arrow in February
2012, Defense Minister Ehud
Barak said, "This is an important technological achievement and
an important step in Israel's progress in the field of defense... the
successful test demonstrated again, the high technical capabilities
of engineers, technicians and employees of the Israeli security industry
that participated in the test."
In February and July 2013, Israel completed more successful tests of the Arrow-3 interceptor (February) and rocket propulsion (July) systems. In January 2014, Israel completed a second successful test of Arrow-3 interceptor missile.
"The successful test is a major milestone in the development of the Arrow-3 Weapon System and provides further confidence in future Israeli defense capabilities to defeat the developing ballistic missile threat," a statement from the Defense Ministry in February said. "This is the first flyout, it is the first time that (it) flew through the air. This is the first time the interceptor with all of its equipment took off and flew," read a statement following the July test.
According to Tal Inbar, head of the Space Research Center at the Fisher Institute for Air & Space Strategic Studies, "The operational significance of the Arrow 3, once its development is complete, is clear: Israel will be better able to defend itself, at higher altitudes and further away from its borders. Because of the great speed and high altitude involved in the interception, it will be possible to launch additional interceptor missiles if the first one misses its target. The Arrow 3 will significantly increase Israel's ability to defend itself against the ballistic missiles of hostile countries."
In late 2014 Israel suffered a series of embarassing technical failures when conducting tests of the Arrow 2 and 3. During a test of the Arrow 2 system in September 2014, the missile successfully acquired and tracked it's target but did not intercept the intended dummy missile. Officials stated that this failure was due to a minor software glitch and should be fixed easily. The failure of this test was not reported until long after it occured. A second test was due to be carried out on the Arrow 3 missile on December 16, but when the dummy target fired the missile did not follow. Due to technical problems that arose last minute during the trial, the dummy missile that was fired over the sea was not intercepted by the Arrow 3 missile. Israeli Defense Ministry officials released a statement claiming that "conditions were not ripe for launching the intercepting missile." Defense officials did not refer to this test as a success or a failure, but simply stated that certain conditions for the launch were not in place and it could not be completed.
In the first validation of the capabilites of the Arrow-3 missile system, on December 10, 2015, Israel and the United states carried out a successful test during which the Arrow-3 system shot down a projectile. The missile successfully calculated the location of the object and engaged it in the air, destroying it. The director of Israel Aerospace Industries missile division, Yoav Turgeman, referred to the exercise as “a perfect test.”
Sources: American Israel Public Affairs Committee;
Middle East Security Report and Clyde R.
Mark, "Israel: U.S. Foreign Assistance," Congressional Research
Service, (October 3, 2003);
Uzi Rubin, "The Origins of Israel's Arrow System," Jerusalem
Issue Brief Vol. 2., No. 19, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, (March
Schieneman, Gabriel. “Readying the quiver – Arrow 3 set to fly,” Jerusalem Post (November 4, 2012);
Lappin, Yaakov. “Israel announces successful joint missile test with US in Med, after Russia detects launch,” Jerusalem Post,(September 3, 2013);
“Israel tests rocket propulsion system,” YNet News (July 12, 2013);
“Israel, US conduct successful joint test of Arrow 3,” Times of Israel (January 3, 2014);
Cohen, Gili.“Israeli Test of Arrow 3 Fails for Second Time - and Defense Ministry Waffles Again,” Haaretz (December 16 2014)
Ari Gross, Judah. “Arrow 3 missile downs ballistic target in first successful test,”
Times of Israel (December 10, 2015)