On Sunday, Israeli and US officials in Tel Aviv signed an agreement on funding the co-operative development and production of the Arrow 3 ballistic missile defence system. In accordance with this bilateral framework, signed by Brig. Gen. Ofir Shoham, the head of the Israeli defense ministry’s MAFAT Research and Development Directorate, and Lt. Gen. Patrick O’Reilly, the head of the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA), the development of the high-altitude interceptor is to be fully funded by the US and will be integrated into Israel’s missile defence system.
The agreement will disperse Israeli concerns that the US would end or significantly reduce funding of the Arrow programme due to necessary cuts to the US defence budget. The co-operation, involving the Israeli Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the MDA, as well as an industrial team from both nations, is expected to cost an additional $100 million and provide an operational Arrow 3 missile defence system by 2012/13.
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By Nicolas von Kospoth, Managing Editor
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