The company MLM Division, a division of Israel Aerospace Industries, engaged in the development of a new generation of anti-missile interceptor. According to Defense News, the new missile received the designation "Arrow-4" (Arrow-4). It will have to replace the outdated interceptors of the Strela-2 complex. The missile defense system is being developed jointly with the US Missile Defense Agency.
Israel is actively developing new anti-missile systems, as its territory is often subjected to rocket attacks. To protect the territory, the Israeli military has built a layered missile defense system, which includes the complexes "Iron Dome" (Iron Dome), "David's Sling" (David's Sling)," Arrow-2 "and"Arrow-3". In general, the system provides protection against missiles with a range of 70 to 2000 kilometers.
The exact timing of the creation of the Strela-4 anti-missile system has not yet been disclosed. The Israeli military has only announced that the new anti-missile systems will replace the aging Strela-2 in the next couple of decades. The new project will use the conceptual developments obtained from the results of preliminary studies on Strela-4, conducted since 2017.
According to the Israeli military, the Strela-4 anti-missile system will be able to intercept targets both in the atmosphere and beyond.
The current Strela-3 anti-missile systems entered service with Israel in 2017. They are equipped with anti-missiles capable of intercepting ballistic targets at an altitude of up to 100 kilometers. The complex was designed to intercept short-and medium-range ballistic missiles (range from 400 to 5500 kilometers). The complex is capable of detecting targets at a range of up to 900 kilometers.
Vasily Sychev