The U.S. Missile Defense Agency and its Israeli counterpart tested a system designed to intercept missile threats outside of the atmosphere.
The Arrow Weapon System‘s radars detected a target, which was then pursued by a pair of Arrow-3 interceptors in central Israel, MDA said Tuesday when the test took place.
The two countries jointly developed AWS, which will serve as a central part of Israel’s four-layer defense array. The Iron Dome and David’s Sling missile defense systems compose two parts of this array, as the Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 interceptors make up the other half.
“MDA remains committed to assisting the government of Israel in upgrading its missile defense capability against current and emerging threats,” said Vice Adm. Jon Hill, the agency’s director.
Moshe Patel, director of Israel’s missile defense organization, said the AWS team has significantly extended the system’s capabilities since tests in Alaska in 2019.