Missile defense

With ongoing domestic procurement of naval weapon systems for Magen corvettes and Dolphin submarines, and growing export opportunities, naval programs become an important growth opportunity for Israel’s defense industries.

The Raytheon Company announced it has been selected to provide the US Army with its next-generation, 360-degree capable radar – known as the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS). Deployment of sensors like LTAMDS is expected to close the vulnerability of sectorial air defenses that was clearly demonstrated in the failure of Saudi Arabian air defenses to detect and warn of the Iranian cruise missile attack.

Arrow-3, the Israeli exo-atmospheric ballistic missile interceptor successfully intercepted three medium-range missile targets over the North Pacific Ocean. The event marked the completion of a full-capacity flight test campaign. Three Medium-Range Ballistic Missile targets were intercepted in outer space, by Arrow-3 interceptors launched from Kodiak, Alaska. The tests were conducted under a joint Israeli-US program led by Israel’s Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) of the Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D) and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA).

Racing to the Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), Pyongyang's long-range missile activity means bad news for Japan and South Korea, since the medium and intermediate range missiles developed by the rough nation could target even well-defended targets in the Western Pacific, including Japan, South Korea and US bases in the region. This review outlines some of the measures taken by countries in the region, to bolster their missile defense capabilities.

The largest ballistic missile developed and launched by North Korea, Hwasong 15 (HS-15) represents an impressive weapon developed by the rough state to achieve credible deterrence against the United States. According to analysts, the new Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, (ICBM) carrying thermonuclear warheads could establish the North Korean nuclear deterrence force as early as next year.

Carefully inspecting the video that provided evidence of the successful ICBM intercept by the Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV), one cannot ignore the anomaly visible on 00:59, showing an object closing in rapidly from the left and surviving the explosion. Defense-Update raises the questions and provides some possible answers...

The Australian Government has approved the development of a new Short Range Ground Based Air Defense system to improve protection for deployed personnel. Raytheon Australia has been selected as the single supplier for the A$2 Billion program, delivering the NASAMS to the Australian Defense Force.

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and the Indian Ministry of Defense signed a contract worth US$1.6 billion today, for the supply of an unspecified number of Medium Range Surface to Air Missiles (MRSAM) for the Indian Land Forces. IAI signed today a second contract for the delivery of Barak 8 Long Range SAM (LRSAM) for the first locally built aircraft carrier - Vikrant. The new deals have increased the system's total order book by 60 percent, to five billion.

Israel's Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) within the Israel Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency successfully completed a series of intercept tests of Rafael/Raytheon David's Sling Weapon System (DSWS). The new system is being deployed with Israel's multi-tiered antimissile array.

Israel enhanced today its nationwide multi-layered missile defense system with the delivery of the first batch of Arrow 3 interceptors to be inducted to the Arrow Weapon System (AWS) made by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI/MLM). The induction of Arrow-3 interceptor enables the AWS to intercept ballistic faster missiles, at longer range, and higher altitude (exo-atmospheric) with more precise ballistic engagements.

The U.S. Navy yesterday intercepted a medium range ballistic missile (MRBM) target using the new SM-6 Dual I interceptor, proving the capability of the upgraded multi-mission missile to defend the fleet against 'carrier killer' ballistic missiles.

The Pentagon is harnessing its strategic missile warning system to conduct surveillance on a global scale, improving strategic situational awareness over the entire planet. A new Battlespace Awareness Center (OBA) that came online last month processes massive streams of satellite infrared immagery, generating Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) that turns the pentagon's 'Space-Based Infra-Red Systems' (SBIRS) into an all-seeing, unblinking eye.

Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) are currently tested with Airborne Infrared (ABIR) sensors – performing persistent, forward pickets to spot hostile missile launches and track them through their flight trajectory. These missions will soon evolve as RPAs become operational, and augment existing radar and space-based sensors, providing midcourse tracking and target discrimination, to help targeting ground and ship-based missile defense interceptors. In the next phase MDA will equip even larger unmanned platforms with high-power laser systems, to perform boost-phase intercept. The agency plans to demonstrate such systems in 2021.

A US Navy guided missile destroyer launched a salvo of Tomahawk cruise missiles against three Yemeni radar sites along the red sea shoreline, in response to recent attacks on U.S. ships in the region.