US-Israel Arrow missile programme represents more than 30 years of partnership

The Arrow missile defence system, jointly developed by the United States and Israel, represents 30 years of co-operation between the two nations.

The family of missiles, which includes the Arrow 2-4, makes up the long-range layer of Israel's multi-tiered missile defence system.

It complements David's Sling, a medium-to-long range system developed as a replacement for the US Patriot missile, and both the Iron Dome and Iron Beam short-range systems.

With this multi-layered air defence system, Israel is able to confront a multitude of threats emanating from Iran's ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones.

The Iron Beam, a high-energy laser weapon system, is designed to neutralise a range of incoming targets -- including unmanned aerial systems, rockets, artillery and mortar rounds -- using a 100-kilowatt or more directed energy weapon, according to National Defense Magazine.

It will augment Israel's Iron Dome air defence system -- designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells -- for more modern threats.

The United States and Israel have co-developed different versions of the Arrow anti-ballistic missile as part of a 1986 agreement, with joint development beginning in 1988, according to a March report published by the US Congressional Research Service.

Since then, the United States has funded just under half of the annual costs of the development of the Arrow, with Israel supplying the remainder, the report said.

So far, the United States has contributed more than $4.5 billion to the development of the Arrow.

A history of partnership

The Arrow 1 technology demonstrator -- designed to counter short-range ballistic missiles -- made its first flight test in 1990 and completed its seventh, and final flight in 1994, according to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

It was followed by the Arrow 2, which was designed to defeat up to medium-range ballistic missiles, with a single battery capable of protecting large swaths of Israeli territory.

Israel deployed its first Arrow 2 battery in October 2000.

The missile was subsequently used in combat for the first time in March 2017 when Israeli forces intercepted a Syrian surface-to-air missile that had been fired on an Israeli jet returning home after an operation in Syrian territory.

In 2008, Israel decided to begin development of the Arrow 3 to counter medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles. The United States agreed to co-fund its development.

Itself a more advanced version of the Arrow 2 in terms of speed, range and altitude, the Arrow 3 has been operational since January 2017. It replaced the Arrow 2's exploding warhead with hit-to-kill technology, increasing its range to almost 1,500 miles (2,414km).

In June 2019, the United States and Israel inked an Arrow 3 co-production agreement.

Since 2008, the United States has spent some $1.4 billion on the Arrow 3.

Continuing co-operation

Co-operation between the United States and Israel on the Arrow missile is continuing with the development of the Arrow 4.

The Israeli Defence Ministry in February 2021 announced that the two nations had begun development on the missile to replace the Arrow 2 over the next decades.

"The Arrow weapon system, which was one of the first in the world to intercept ballistic missiles, will be upgraded with a significant capability, produced by Israel Aerospace Industries [IAI], in the form of the Arrow 4 interceptor," Jacob Galifat, an IAI general manager, said in a ministry statement at the time.

The Arrow 4 is expected to tackle a wide range of evolving threats, including manoeuvrable hypersonic cruise missile and glide vehicle type weapons as well as ballistic missiles equipped with multiple reentry vehicles (MRVs) or multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs).

"Along with the development of vital offensive capabilities, the defence establishment is constantly working to defend Israel's skies against ballistic threats through the ongoing development of its multilayered [missile defence] array," Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz said at the time.

"The development of Arrow 4 together with our American partners will result in a technological and operational leap forward," Gantz said.