, The Israeli military has carried out another successful test of the Hetz (Arrow) anti-missile system, the defense ministry said in a statement March 26.
“The test succeeded perfectly, the data will be the object of careful analysis by engineers,” it said. “This marks an important new step in developing our technological capabilities in the face of a ballistic missile threat.”
Israel has in recent years been concentrating efforts on countering the threat of missile attacks from neighboring Arab states and arch-foe Iran, which has conducted several long-range missile tests in recent years.
Previous Hetz tests have been designed to imitate the interception of Iran’s Shahab-3, which has a range sufficient to reach Israel.
Israeli defense officials have said that the testing of the Hetz system was intended as a message to arch-foe Iran.
“Last night’s test is the answer to the advanced ballistic missiles that Iran develops or buys,” Deputy Defence Minister Efraim Sneh said in February after a successful test.
“In the [armaments] race between Israel and Iran, Israel is ahead at this stage,” he added.
Last week Israel and the U.S. concluded a joint computer-based exercise simulating a nonconventional missile strike, which included another testing of the Hetz system.
The Hetz project was launched in 1988 at the initiative of Israel’s main ally, the U.S., in the framework of its “Star Wars” program, which was officially abandoned in 1993.
