Israel appears set to receive U.S. technical and financial assistance for continued development of its Arrow 3 missile defense system, the Jerusalem Post reported yesterday (see GSN, April 21).
Lt. Gen Henry Obering, head of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, provided the assurance of support during a three-day trip to Israel that included meetings with high-level military officials.
U.S. President George W. Bush last spring reportedly promised Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that the United States would back the Arrow 3 project. The new system is expected to field an interceptor by 2012 that can fly faster, farther and higher than the existing Arrow 2.
Israel has decided to focus on the Arrow 3 instead of buying U.S.-made Aegis or Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense systems. The THAAD system does not meet Israel's existing needs, and the nation is likely to be defended by U.S. Aegis ships should there be a war with Iran, according to Israeli defense officials (Yaakov Katz, Jerusalem Post, Aug. 6).