Israel says to boost production of Arrow missile interceptors

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel’s defence ministry on Monday said it plans to accelerate production of Arrow missile interceptors, as it fights a war with Iran.

The announcement came after questions emerged in the international media over how long Israel’s interceptor stocks would last, with some analysts pointing to shortages of Arrow interceptors in particular.

Israel has a multi-layered air defence array, with a variety of systems intercepting threats at different altitudes.

The top tier consists of the anti-ballistic missile Arrow systems, with Arrow 2 operating both within the Earth’s atmosphere and in space and Arrow 3 intercepting above the Earth’s atmosphere.

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“The Ministerial Committee for Procurement has approved the Israel Ministry of Defence (IMOD) plan for a major additional acceleration of Arrow interceptor production,” a defence ministry statement said.

It added that the plan would enable “a significant increase in both the production rate and stockpile of Arrow interceptors as part of preparations for the evolving campaign”.

Defence Minister Israel Katz was quoted in the statement as saying that “Israel has sufficient interceptors to protect its citizens, and this initiative is designed to ensure continued freedom of action and the sustained operational endurance we require.”

Each Arrow 2 interceptor costs an estimated $1.5 million, with Arrow 3s around $2 million.