The administration offer was part of a White House plan to cut U.S.
missile defense procurement and development over the next two years. Unlike
the previous administration, Obama was said to be skeptical over the
effectiveness of a U.S. missile defense network.
"There is pressure that whatever U.S. [missile defense] funds are left
should go to American companies without any participation of foreign
partners," the official said.
Arrow-3 has marked a partnership between Boeing and the state-owned
Israel Aerospace Industries, Middle East Newsline reported. Arrow-3, expected to be deployed by 2013, was
designed to intercept missiles at an altitude of more than 100 kilometers,
which would enable the destruction of enemy nuclear warheads.
On April 7, the Defense Ministry reported the successful test of an
enhanced Arrow-2, guided by the enhanced Green Pine radar. Officials said
the interceptor, part of the U.S.-financed Arrow System Improvement Program,
destroyed an Israeli-origin air-to-air missile meant to simulate an
Iranian-origin Shihab-3 intermediate-range ballistic missile.
"Because of the economic crisis in the United States, they are cutting
budgets and want to allocate some of funds toward purely American projects
that better suit U.S. requirements," Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on
April 4. "We are trying to convince them to continue funding the Arrow,
rather the 'Super Arrow,' to allow us to complete development."
Officials said Israel has rejected previous U.S. offers of the SM-3, an
interceptor said to be five times more expensive than the Arrow. They said
the Defense Ministry and the Israel Navy were uncertain over the feasibility
to procure platforms large enough for SM-3.
In 2009, SM-3 demonstrated its ability to destroy a cruise missile. In
February 2008, the missile defense system was reported to have destroyed a
satellite over the Pacific Ocean.
