040729-N-0000X-001 Point Mugu, Calif. (July 29, 2004) – An Arrow anti-ballistic missile is launched as part of the on going United States/Israel Arrow System Improvement Program (ASIPP). The missile successfully intercepted a short-range target during tests at the Point Mugu Sea Range in Calif. This was the twelfth Arrow intercept test and the seventh test of the complete Arrow system. The objective of the test was to demonstrate the Arrow systemÕs improved performance against a target that represents a threat to Israel. The test represented a realistic scenario that could not have been tested in Israel due to test-field safety restrictions. U.S. Navy photo (RELEASED)

On December 4, a target missile’s failure to conform to safety requirements caused Israeli program officials to cancel its scheduled test of an Arrow-3 missile interceptor, declaring a ‘no-test.’ The joint Israeli Defense Ministry and U.S. Missile Defense Agency test ended before Arrow 3 systems could even come online, after on-site engineers noticed the target missile was not behaving as expected. Moshe Patel, director of the Israel Missile Defense Organization, emphasized that “the experiment was not a failure.” Data is being collected and analyzed by engineers to determine what caused the target missile to behave unexpectedly, and to continue Arrow-3 development.

Related Links:

Target glitch prompts a ‘no test’ for US-Israel Arrow-3 missile interceptor, Defense News
Defense Ministry Halts Arrow-3 Test After Simulator Missile Proves to be a Dud, Jerusalem Post