Air Defense: November 10, 1999

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Israel conducted the seventh test launch of the Arrow missile on 1 Nov. This launch (the third successful intercept) was also the first complete test of the entire system. The target (an older Arrow-1 fired from a ship at sea) was detected by the Green Pine fire control radar. Launch was initiated by the Citron Tree control system. The target was destroyed when the Arrow's warhead was detonated by its proximity fuse. Israel plans to build two mobile Arrow-2 batteries, and may include a third in the program. The US Congress just approved another $81.6 million for the Arrow program (on the theory that the US might use it to protect forward-deployed troops), of which $45 million is to help Israel pay for the third battery. --Stephen V Cole