11.06.2017

Alaska missile testing for Israel will be town hall subject

Officials from the spaceport on Kodiak Island will host a town hall meeting Wednesday to answer questions about the Missile Defense Agency’s plans to test a U.S.-Israeli anti-ballistic missile system in Alaska.

Testing of the Arrow-3 missile system will begin in 2018, the Kodiak Daily Mirror reported (http://bit.ly/2rX3vuM ). The system was developed by Israel Aerospace Industries and Boeing Co., and is co-managed by the Missile Defense Agency and the Israel Missile Defense Organization.

It will be part of the five- to six-year, $80.4 million contract between Alaska Aerospace Corporation and the Missile Defense Agency, which was announced last summer, Alaska Aerospace CEO Craig Campbell said.

“One of the better places to test is in Alaska, from Kodiak, and we plan to do that next year,” Navy Vice Adm. James Syring said.

The system is being developed to support Israel’s ballistic missile defense system. There are no plans to integrate the missiles into the U.S. ballistic missile defense system.

Syring said the system could be used by Israel deter potential missile threats from Iran.

Testing of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system is also set to take place in Alaska in the summer. This system has been touted as a possible defense against North Korean missiles.

Quelle: The Washington Times