Israel’s Arrow 2 Air Defense System Aces Test Simulating Iranian Attack

Israeli military conducted a successful air defense trial early Thursday morning, simulating an Iranian missile attack and completing a full shootdown process, according to government and military officials. The Arrow 2 system, which was tasked with identifying, tracking, and intercepting a mockup Iranian-built Shahab-3 rocket launched from the Mediterranean, “worked perfectly,” Israel Aerospace Industries VP Boaz Levy said. According to military officials, the system is also prepared to take on missiles armed with nuclear warheads. The entire Arrow air defense array, comprising Arrow 1, 2 and 3, is designed to intercept and protect Israel from a whole range of aerial attacks at varying altitudes and distances. It was developed in part with United States military aid and cooperation. “I would like to express our deepest gratitude to our ally, the US, for the joint advancement of Israel’s security,” Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said after the successful experiment.