Israel Matzav

Too bad to check: Israel has no interceptor for Iran's new long-range missile?

It's a DEBKA report so, as always, take it with a grain of salt. But if it's true it's bad news.

DEBKA is reporting that Israel has no intercept capacity against the long-range Sejil-2 that was tested by Iran earlier this week. The Sejil-2 is capable of hitting both Israel and Europe.

Western military sources told us later: "Iran is at least two or three years ahead of Israel's missile defenses."

The Arrow 2 anti-missile missile system can intercept a missile like this only when it is very close to Israel. Arrow 3, which is designed to knock such missiles out, won't be operational for several years.

From a worried Washington, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said the new missile "that can reach Israel, southeastern Europe and US bases in the Middle East is consistent" with US concerns about Iran's effort to develop ballistic missiles and its nuclear program and the "potential Iranian threat to its neighbors."

Until now, the Americans and Israelis were confident that insurmountable technical difficulties prevented Iran's missile industry from achieving an accurate guidance system. Their earlier missiles fired against Israel would therefore veer off target. This assumption was nullified by the Sejil-2 launch.

Air and missile interception planners in Israel and the US will have to go back to the drawing board for new answers to the new Iranian missile.

I guess this may be why the US decided to fully fund the Arrow 3 in the 2010 budget.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:53 PM