Israel tests Hetz-3 missile interceptor

Israel has carried out a “successful” test of its Hetz-3 missile interceptor system. The test was conducted from a location in central Israel. Hetz (Arrow) 3 is designed to intercept high level long-range ballistic missiles.

The main objective behind the test conducted by Israel’s Ministry of Defence was to see if the missile could stay airborne long enough to intercept intended targets. Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that Hetz-3 will enable Israel to counter possible threats from Iran’s Shehab missiles.

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This is the first time that Hetz-3 has been tested and a spokesman for the Ministry of Defence called the “successful” test a “milestone in Israel’s operational and defensive capabilities vis-à-vis threats in the regional arena”. It was conducted in collaboration with the Israeli Air Force, the US Department of Defence and representatives of Israel’s arms industry. “This system has been years in development,” said the Ministry of Defence. “It still has to undergo further tests before it becomes fully operational.”

On its Ynet website, Yedioth Ahronoth said that Hetz-3 joins Israel’s “layered aerial defence systems”, alongside Hetz-2, Iron Dome and David’s Sling, better known as “Magic Wand”.