Israel’s US-backed Arrow-3 ballistic missile shield has passed a series of live interception tests over Alaska, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday.
Jointly manufactured by US firm Boeing Co, Arrow-3 is viewed as as a bulwark against the ballistic missiles fielded by Iran and Syria.
It is also billed as capable of shooting down incoming missiles in space, an altitude that would destroy any non-conventional warheads safely, Reuters reported.
The missile passed its first full interception test over the Mediterranean Sea in 2015 and was deployed in Israel in 2017.
“Today Israel has the capabilities to act against ballistic missiles launched at us from Iran and from anywhere else,” Netanyahu said on Sunday.
“All our foes should know that we can best them, both defensively and offensively.”
According to Reuters, Arrow-3’s Alaska trials had been expected last year but were postponed, following earlier difficulties in testing the system.
Its first full trial, scheduled in 2014, was aborted due to what designers said was a faulty flight by the target missile.
