Israel will have three different levels of missile defense systems within the next four years, according to a high level military assessment.
Israel Air Force commander Maj.-Gen. Ido Nehushtan made the prediction Wednesday at a conference on missile defense at the Fischer Brothers Institute for Air and Space Strategic Studies, in Herzliya.
The commander said that the Iron Dome system, designed to intercept Kassam and Katyusha rockets fired by Hamas from Gaza, would be operational and deployed along the border by summer 2010. The Iron Dome, produced by Raphael Advanced Weapons Systems Ltd., will be deployed against short-range artillery rockets and 155-mm artillery shells with ranges of up to 70 km.
A second system called David's Sling that intercepts medium-range rockets is expected to be operational within four years. The system, under development by Raphael and Raytheon, includes Stunner, a terminal missile defense interceptor that can destroy short-range ballistic missiles, medium and long-range rockets and cruise missiles.
The system uses a special warhead that detonates any target in the air within seconds, and can handle multiple threats simultaneously.
The Arrow III system against long-range missiles will be operational soon after, Nehushtan told participants at the conference. The system is a more advanced version of the current Arrow II anti-ballistic missile system, produced jointly by the U.S. and Israel, which proved accurate and effective in IDF testing last month.
The system successfully knocked out a missile designed to mimic an Iranian Shahab, launched over the Mediterranean Sea as well as other targets in 14 intercept trials at high and low altitudes. Arrow batteries are currently deployed near Haifa and Tel Aviv.
The Arrow II anti-missile system was deployed near the coastal city of Ashkelon during the counterterrorism Cast Lead military operation this past January and was successfully used to help Home Front command detect missile launches by Gaza terrorists.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak also gave the green light for the IDF to purchase the Vulcan-Phalanx anti-missile defense system from the United States earlier this year. The system is used for early warning and interception of short-range Kassam rockets and mortar shells.
The Vulcan Gatling gun component of the system can fire up to 6,000 shells per minute and cover a 1,200-square meter area. The Phalanx radar component which is used to detect missiles and mortars that are being fired provides a 20-second alert window within which civilians can race for cover.
Its major advantage over the current Color Red rocket alert is that it also detects mortar shells, which elude the present system. The first Vulcan-Phalanx system will be delivered this winter, if the U.S. cooperates.
Until all of the new systems are up and running, however, the IDF is not effectively providing security for Israel’s southern residents, Nehushtan said. He added that the IAF is also looking into laser solutions for intercepting long-range ballistic missiles.
