The Israeli army on Wednesday received new ballistic missile interceptors that significantly upgrade the Jewish state's aerial defence systems in the face of "emerging threats", the defence ministry said. The Arrow 3 interceptor, designed to shoot down missiles above the atmosphere, was handed to air force bases in Israel after successful testing by Israel and the United States at the end of 2015.
A defence ministry statement said Israel and the US were dedicated to the continued development and enhancement of ballistic missile defence systems as "threats continue to grow and new emerging threats surface".
The Arrow project was first launched in 1988 as part of the then Star Wars programme under late US president Ronald Reagan that was abandoned in 1993.
Arrow 3 is intended to serve as Israel's uppermost missile interception system. Lower-altitude interception systems are either already deployed or close to being operational.
Partly financed by the United States, the Arrow system was developed and produced by Israeli Aerospace Industries in partnership with Boeing.
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