Tag: Missile Defense

The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine demonstrates the strategic shift in air warfare from direct attacks by bombers to standoff attacks using missiles. The ground-based air defenses have yet to embrace this change.

Today, Israel conducted a successful flight test of the Arrow Weapon System (AWS) and the Arrow 3 interceptor, which is designed to intercept ballistic missiles outside of the earth’s atmosphere. The test was performed at a test site in central Israel, and led by the system's prime contractor Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

Israel’s Ministry of Defense (IMOD) has recently completed a series of tests in which an airborne, high-power laser weapon system (HPL-WS) prototype intercepted multiple aerial targets in quick succession. The objective HPL-WS will be able to augment Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar (C-RAM) capabilities such as the Iron Dome. By destroying enemy rockets at a much lower cost per kill.

The U.S. production facility will provide Israel the ability to finance the acquisition of Iron Dome batteries, and Tamir missile interceptor reloads with U.S. military support. Apart from protecting troops and bases, Iron Dome will be able to protect long-range defense systems such as the THAAD, which could be vulnerable to unconventional threats such as short-range missiles, cruise missiles and drones.

The US Air Force successfully demonstrated the intercept of an aerial target using the AGR-20A Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) laser-guided rocket. This proof of concept can have implications for homeland defense missions, Combined Defense of the Arabian Gulf.

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).

China has successfully tested a hypersonic waverider air vehicle for the first time. The vehicle flew and maneuvered at a speed of Mach 6....

A test of Israel's Arrow 3 ballistic missile interceptor was aborted today due to a target failure. According to an Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD) announcement, the test performed at the Air Forces' Palmachim missile test base was planned as part of the series of tests on Israel's multi-tiered defense array.

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.

U.S. missile defense capabilities were demonstrated today in a first of a kind intercept of an Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) target by the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. The intercept took place 2,500 miles south of Alaska, near Hawaii, demonstrating THAAD's strategic defense capabilities, particularly against the threat types currently presented from North Korea.

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 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.