Israel to hold missile test in US

http://www.uruknet.de:80/?s1=1&p=55997&s2=15

July 14, 2009

Israel is set to hold a missile test on a US missile range in the Pacific Ocean in an exercise that will also see the US test three missile defence systems, a senior US general has said.

The test site will allow Israel to measure its Arrow interceptor missile system against a target at a range of more than 1,000km, Army Lieutenant General Patrick O'Reilly, director of the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency, said on Tuesday.

"They [Israel] are having a flight test soon this summer," he said.

"They are limited to the range of the missile they can test in the eastern Mediterranean. There's a safety issue.

"That's the primary purpose of them coming to the United States to use our test range."

The Arrow system, which was developed by Israel and the United States, is intended to defend Israel against possible ballistic missile attacks from Iran and Syria.