Israel, US successfully test integration of missile defense systems

The Israeli Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) and the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) have successfully conducted a test meant to check the integration of Israeli and American missile defense systems, it was announced Wednesday.

The “Integrated Ground Test, ” the first of its kind with the new defense systems, spanned over five days and ended on June 22.

It tested the real-time communication between missile defense systems in Israel and the US, simulating a scenario in which thousands of rockets and missiles from Iran and Lebanon are fired at Israel at the same time to see how efficiently the six different missile defense systems can work together eliminate the threats. The focus was on connecting the missile defense system to the US radar system to detect the projectiles.

The missile defense systems tested were Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 as well as Israel’s David’s Sling in conjunction with US systems Aegis Ships, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and Patriot missile defense systems.

The test was conducted simultaneously at command and control centers in Israel, which simulated Israel’s multi-leyered missile defense system, and at development centers scattered across the US.

“We tested the systems’ ability to work in tandem until the point of interception, without launching the missiles, ” Col. S of the IMDO explained to ynet. “In fact, we had one Israeli eye and one American eye on all of the targets, at the same time, and so we could see and operate better.”

The Defense Ministry hailed the test as “another milestone in the missile defense program, which is a cooperation between the US and Israel.”

The test was carried out by Elisra, a subsidiary of Elbit Systems.

Ynet News