Israel’s US-backed Arrow-3 ballistic missile shield has passed a series of live interception tests over Alaska, state of USA.
On this occasion, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “The performance was perfect — every hit a bull’s eye,” casting the achievement as a warning to Iran.
Iran has been locked in a spiralling confrontation with the United States over its nuclear programme and missile projects.
Jointly manufactured by US firm Boeing Co, Arrow-3 is billed as capable of shooting down incoming missiles in space, an altitude that would destroy any non-conventional warheads safely.
Israel views the Arrow-3 as a defensive wall against the ballistic missiles fielded by Iran and Syria.
Washington said last week that Iran appeared to have tested a medium-range ballistic missile that flew about 1,000km. Tehran said such tests were for defensive needs.
“Today Israel has the capabilities to act against ballistic missiles launched at us from Iran and from anywhere else,” Netanyahu said on Sunday.
It passed its first full interception test over the Mediterranean Sea in 2015 and was deployed in Israel in 2017.
Arrow-3’s Alaska trials had been expected last year but were postponed, following earlier difficulties in testing the system.
