Israel has announced the operationalisation of upgraded missile defence, Arrow-3 intercepting system. The system represents Israel's upper-tier layer in its multi-tiered defence network.
Read: Why is Israel and Russia helping India stockpile weapons and ammunition?
Israeli Air Force (IAF) has received the first of Arrow-3 interceptors at a ceremony. Arrow-3 was built jointly by Israel Aerospace Industries and Boeing.
Arrow-3 can intercept any ballistic missile that has been fired into Israel airspace using an exo-atmospheric 'kill vehicle' with an on board electro-optical sensor that can lock on and hit them before they re-enter Earth's atmosphere.
"The Arrow-3 interceptor is a world-class missile that, together with the Arrow-2, expands the defence envelope provided to the state of Israel. The Arrow-3 interceptor capabilities enable longer range, higher altitude [exo-atmospheric], and more precise ballistic missile engagements," the Israeli Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
The Arrow-2 can intercept missile both high and low in the atmosphere. It has been operational since 2000.
One of Israel's foremost ballistic missile threat is from Iran. Arrow-3 allows a nuclear, biological or chemical missile to be taken out at high-altitude safely.
For short-range requirements, Israel has the Iron Dome interceptor, which successfully took out missiles fired by Hamas in 2014.
Arrow serves as the top tier of an integrated Israeli shield built to withstand various potential missile or rocket salvoes. The bottom tier is the already-deployed short-range Iron Dome interceptor, which was used extensively with high success rates in a 2014 Gaza war against Hamas militants.
Another Israeli system called David's Sling is being developed to shoot down mid-range, lower-altitude missiles, such as those in the arsenal of Iranian-backed Hezbollah, a Lebanese group which last fought a war with Israel in 2006.
