Israel deploys missiles on border with Lebanon
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Friday, September 15, 2000
TEL AVIV — Israel announced the successful test of its Arrow anti-ballistic missile Thursday, as Lebanese military sources said Israel had deployed surface-to-air missiles and on its border with Lebanon.
The sources said the weaponry included a launching pad for
four surface-to-air missiles pointing towards Lebanon. They said this
appeared to be part of a new defense line following Israel's withdrawal from
Lebanon on May 22.
Israeli military sources refused to confirm the reports, Middle East Newsline reported. But they said
Israel has bolstered its defense line along the Lebanese border and has
established new outposts.
The Arrow successfully completed a frontal interception and destruction
of an incoming Rafael Black Sparrow missile fired from an F-15 fighter
simulating a Scud missile at 11.55 am Thursday at the Palmahim base in
southern Israel, Israeli officials said.
The position of the Black Sparrow missile was fixed on the radar
manufactured by Israel's Elta, then the Arrow was launched and completely
destroyed it target, an official said.
The Arrow missile, designed to intercept incoming missiles between ten
and forty kilometers above the ground, is jointly funded by Israel and the
United States. The test was conducted in the presence of a Pentagon
official.
"By 2001, the system will be fully operational," Israel Aircraft
Industries Dir.-Gen Moshe Keret said.
On Sept. 29, the same test was aborted at the last moment due to a
problem in one of the control systems. The next test will be carried out in
several months.
Lebanese sources said cement casings some six to eight meters wide and
two meters above ground level protrude from behind a four-meter fence along the defense line on the border. The
same fencing was used almost two years ago to defend against TOW anti-tank
missiles deployed by Hizbullah.
Israel's military buildup on the border also includes construction of
new infrastructure and roads near the Shebaa plateau as well as the
expansion of established positions.
The new 20 kilometer defense line stretches from the foot of Mount
Hermon and the Shebaa plateau to opposite the Lebanese village of Wazzani.
The Israeli army is expanding its position at Hammari, 1.5 kilometers west
of Wazzani.
Since the Israeli withdrawal, Shebaa has been plagued by violent
confrontations between Lebanese hurling stones at Israeli soldiers on the
opposite side of the border fence.
On Wednesday, tank carriers, including nine Merkava tanks and five
trucks loaded with ammunition were deployed near Shebaa.
Friday, September 15, 2000
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