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WASHINGTON Israels ability to shoot down hundreds of rockets fired by Hamas militants this past week has been hailed as a breakthrough in missile defense. But, military analysts warn, the real challenge is only beginning.
Unlike the homemade, rudimentary rockets used by Hamas, thousands of sophisticated missiles with greater ranges and payloads are being stockpiled in Lebanon by Hezbollah, another militant group. Israels leaders, who consider these weapons and longer-range missiles from Iran potential threats, have turned to engineers from Waltham-based Raytheon Co. to help develop the next-generation interceptor missile.
A critical test of the system, called the Stunner, is set for Israels Negev Desert in coming days.
Israelis are counting on the missile to become the centerpiece of their defense shield, known as Davids Sling. US officials involved in the program and several independent specialists said the engineering challenge they face is aptly captured by the reference to the Old Testament mismatch between David and Goliath.
The problem you run into is it is a much more difficult target, which means your missile interceptor needs to be very capable, said Theodore A. Postol, professor of science, technology, and national security policy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and former adviser to the US Navy.
Davids Sling is designed to complement Israels current system, dubbed Iron Dome, which destroyed nearly 400 incoming rockets from Gaza in the latest conflict. Iron Dome batteries are outfitted with a radar sensor designed to determine within seconds of launch which rockets are headed for populated areas. Only then does the system engage the most threatening rockets with a missile, known as the Tamir.
Israeli officials say they had a 90 percent success rate in knocking down such rockets from Gaza. The assertion could not be independently verified.
Hezbollahs missiles, designed by Iran and Russia and smuggled from Syria, are capable of traveling faster and reaching virtually all of Israel a range of more than 150 miles. They also contain a guidance system that makes them a greater threat to populated areas, according to officials.
It is not just Hezbollah, said Gabriel Scheinmann, a visiting fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs in Washington. There is also the threat of Scud missiles, especially if you are looking at what is going on in Syria, where a civil war is igniting concerns about that countrys massive stockpile of missiles and chemical weapons. Russian-built Scuds are capable of traveling hundreds of miles and can carry large warheads.
Israels defense industry developed the Iron Dome, with $200 million in financing from the United States so far. A US defense bill calls for spending another $600 million for additional batteries and replacement missiles. Raytheons role in Davids Sling has been funded by the Israeli firm Rafael, for a total of about $130 million over the past three years, according to public records.
If the system proves viable, additional funding could come from the United States.
The technology is designed to defeat a variety of short-range ballistic missiles, large caliber rockets and cruise missiles, according to Raytheon.
One major difference, according to experts, is that the new interceptor missile should be able to be redirected in mid-flight, to account for changes in the trajectory of the incoming weapon. Under the Iron Dome system, once the operator fires the interceptor missile, its course cannot be modified.
John B. Patterson, a spokesman for Raytheon Missile Systems, based in Tucson, Ariz., declined to comment.
They are working hard to get Davids Sling operational, said a Raytheon official who was not authorized to speak publicly about the project or the upcoming test in Israel. The hope is it will be able to knock out a variety of targets.
Raytheon has not been involved in Iron Dome.
It was Raytheon whose Patriot missile batteries initially designed to shoot down aircraft were deployed to Israel during the 1991 Persian Gulf War when Iraq was launching Scud missiles at the Jewish state. While their effectiveness was hailed at the time, later assessments concluded the system was not particularly effective.
The Patriot system has been upgraded and is in the arsenal of several nations, including Israel, though it is not considered ideally suited for the countrys close quarters with its neighbors. The response time to deflect an incoming missile is exceedingly small, requiring a more sophisticated system.
Israel developing next-generation missile defense system
Unlike the homemade, rudimentary rockets used by Hamas, thousands of sophisticated missiles with greater ranges and payloads are being stockpiled in Lebanon by Hezbollah, another militant group. Israels leaders, who consider these weapons and longer-range missiles from Iran potential threats, have turned to engineers from Waltham-based Raytheon Co. to help develop the next-generation interceptor missile.
A critical test of the system, called the Stunner, is set for Israels Negev Desert in coming days.
Israelis are counting on the missile to become the centerpiece of their defense shield, known as Davids Sling. US officials involved in the program and several independent specialists said the engineering challenge they face is aptly captured by the reference to the Old Testament mismatch between David and Goliath.
The problem you run into is it is a much more difficult target, which means your missile interceptor needs to be very capable, said Theodore A. Postol, professor of science, technology, and national security policy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and former adviser to the US Navy.
Davids Sling is designed to complement Israels current system, dubbed Iron Dome, which destroyed nearly 400 incoming rockets from Gaza in the latest conflict. Iron Dome batteries are outfitted with a radar sensor designed to determine within seconds of launch which rockets are headed for populated areas. Only then does the system engage the most threatening rockets with a missile, known as the Tamir.
Israeli officials say they had a 90 percent success rate in knocking down such rockets from Gaza. The assertion could not be independently verified.
Hezbollahs missiles, designed by Iran and Russia and smuggled from Syria, are capable of traveling faster and reaching virtually all of Israel a range of more than 150 miles. They also contain a guidance system that makes them a greater threat to populated areas, according to officials.
It is not just Hezbollah, said Gabriel Scheinmann, a visiting fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs in Washington. There is also the threat of Scud missiles, especially if you are looking at what is going on in Syria, where a civil war is igniting concerns about that countrys massive stockpile of missiles and chemical weapons. Russian-built Scuds are capable of traveling hundreds of miles and can carry large warheads.
Israels defense industry developed the Iron Dome, with $200 million in financing from the United States so far. A US defense bill calls for spending another $600 million for additional batteries and replacement missiles. Raytheons role in Davids Sling has been funded by the Israeli firm Rafael, for a total of about $130 million over the past three years, according to public records.
If the system proves viable, additional funding could come from the United States.
The technology is designed to defeat a variety of short-range ballistic missiles, large caliber rockets and cruise missiles, according to Raytheon.
One major difference, according to experts, is that the new interceptor missile should be able to be redirected in mid-flight, to account for changes in the trajectory of the incoming weapon. Under the Iron Dome system, once the operator fires the interceptor missile, its course cannot be modified.
John B. Patterson, a spokesman for Raytheon Missile Systems, based in Tucson, Ariz., declined to comment.
They are working hard to get Davids Sling operational, said a Raytheon official who was not authorized to speak publicly about the project or the upcoming test in Israel. The hope is it will be able to knock out a variety of targets.
Raytheon has not been involved in Iron Dome.
It was Raytheon whose Patriot missile batteries initially designed to shoot down aircraft were deployed to Israel during the 1991 Persian Gulf War when Iraq was launching Scud missiles at the Jewish state. While their effectiveness was hailed at the time, later assessments concluded the system was not particularly effective.
The Patriot system has been upgraded and is in the arsenal of several nations, including Israel, though it is not considered ideally suited for the countrys close quarters with its neighbors. The response time to deflect an incoming missile is exceedingly small, requiring a more sophisticated system.
Israel developing next-generation missile defense system
