The United States seeks to increase Israel's missile
defense assets amid rising tension with Iraq.
U.S. officials said Israel has pressed the Bush administration to
accelerate the production and supply of Arrow-2 missiles to the Jewish state
to defend against any Iraqi strike. The officials said Israel and its
supporters in Congress are alarmed by the Iraqi military buildup and the
emerging showdown between Washington and the regime of Iraqi President
Saddam Hussein.
The issue was discussed during a recent hearing by a joint House
subcommittee on missile defense. Rep. Mark Steven Kirk, an Illinois
Republican, expressed concern over the prospect of an Iraqi nonconventional
missile strike on Israel.
Kirk said he wanted to ensure that Israel would have sufficient early
warning of an Iraqi attack as well as enough Arrow-2 inteceptors. The House
member also proposed that a U.S. Aegis-class cruiser visit the Israeli port
of Haifa in a demonstration of missile defense support for Israel. The Aegis
radar can detect missile launches from long distances and could be equipped
with the SM-3 interceptor.
Missile Defense Agency director Lt. Gen. Ronald Kadish acknowledged
Kirk's concerns. Kadish cited a U.S.-Israeli agreement for the production of
the Arrow-2 interceptors in the United States. The agreement calls for the
Boeing Co. to coproduce the interceptors, which would allow Israel to use
U.S. military aid to finance the purchases.
Officials said the contracts for the Boeing project are being drafted
and licenses are being obtained for the export of Arrow-2 components to
Israel. Meanwhile, Israel is producing the Arrow-2 at the state-owned Israel
Aircraft Industries.
Kadish said Israel is building what he termed a limited Arrow inventory.
"So they will have a capability against Iraqi Scuds just because they have
that in place right now," Kadish said. "And the Arrow system is, from all
the testing I've seen, very capable."
The missile defense agency director said the United States could provide
Israel with PAC-2 and PAC-3 systems to augment the Arrow. Kadish said Israel
and the United States have conducted lots of interoperability tests between
Arrow and Patriot.
