September 7, 2006 :: News
Israel has decided on a three-tier defense against ballistic missiles and rockets, reports
Globes Online. The outer tier will destroy incoming ballistic missiles launched from Iran and other countries with Arrow anti-missile interceptors, which Israel has already deployed. The middle tier will intercept missiles launched from Syria and Lebanon. This tier has not been developed yet, but Israel believes that it will be able to develop such a program within five years at a cost of $500 million. The inner tier will intercept short-range Katyushas fired by Hezbullah and Kassams fired by Hamas. Three alternatives have been proposed for the inner tier: the Skyguard laser system developed by Northrop Grumman; an air-to-air missile developed by Rafael; and artillery with a range of up to 10 kilometers.
Globes Online reports that Israel has asked Northrop Grumman to provide an assessment of Skyguard’s operational capabilities, effectiveness, development, and deployment costs.
(Article)
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