Two successful tests (designated IIT#21 and IIT#22) of the steering, control and cruising systems were conducted without target missiles on July 30, 1995 and February 20, 1996. Two successful interceptions took place on August 20, 1996 and March 11, 1997, and were designated AIT#21 and AIT#22. Another interception test (AIT#23) was conducted on August 20, 1997, but the missile was destroyed when its steering system malfunctioned. The fault was corrected in time to ensure the success of AST#3, the first comprehensive test of the entire system. On September 14, 1998, all system components successfully countered a computer-simulated threat. On November 29, 1998, Israel Aerospace Industries delivered the first operational Arrow 2 interceptor to the Israeli Ministry of Defense.
A full system interception test (AST#4) was held on November 1, 1999. During this test the Arrow system located, tracked and intercepted a TM-91C target missile simulating a "Scud" missile, launched on a very steep trajectory from a ship located offshore. The IAI TM-91C target missile was itself based on the Arrow 1 interceptor.[35] On March 14, 2000, the first complete Arrow 2 battery was rolled out in a ceremony at Palmachim Airbase. In his speech, then IAF commander Aluf Eitan Ben Eliyahu said:
| “ | This is a great day for the Air Defense Forces, for the Air Force, the defense establishment and, I would say, for the State of Israel. As of today, we have completed the acceptance of the only weapon system of its kind in the entire world. We are the first to succeed in developing, building and operating a defense system against ballistic missiles. | ” |
Another Arrow 2 test (AST#5) took place on September 14, 2000, this time with a new target missile, the Rafael Advanced Defense Systems "Black Sparrow". This airborne ballistic target missile, launched by an IAF F-15 towards Israel's coastline at a ballistic trajectory simulating an aggressor "Scud", was intercepted and destroyed. Consequently, the following month saw the Palmachim Arrow battery declared operational by the Israeli Air Defense Network. The "Black Sparrow" has since been used as the aggressor target in the AST#6, AST#9, and AST#10 tests. On August 27, 2001 (AST#6), the Arrow system successfully intercepted its target at some 100 km (60 mi) from shore, the highest and farthest that the Arrow 2 had been tested to date. In October 2002 the second battery was declared operational.
Block-2
A successful test of the Arrow 2 block-2 took place on January 5, 2003 (AST#8). Four missiles were launched towards four simulated targets in order to examine the interceptor's performance during special flight conditions as well as system performance during a sequence of launches. The test did not include actual interceptions. Another successful test held on December 16, 2003 (AST#9), examined the system's ability to intercept and destroy incoming missiles at significantly high altitudes, around 60 km (37 mi). Reportedly, AST#8 and AST#9 also tested integration of the Arrow with Patriot batteries.
On July 29, 2004, Israel and the United States carried out a joint test at the Naval Air Station Point Mugu (NAS Point Mugu) Missile Test Center in California, in which the Arrow interceptor was launched against a real "Scud-B" missile. The test represented a realistic scenario that could not have been tested in Israel due to test-field safety restrictions. To enable the test a full battery was shipped to Point Mugu. The "Green Pine" radar and command-and-control systems were deployed at the base, while the Arrow launcher was installed 100 km (60 mi) offshore on an island that forms part of the test range. The test was a success, with the interceptor destroying the "Scud" that flew a 300 km (190 mi) trajectory at an altitude of 40 km (25 mi), west of San Nicolas Island. This was the twelfth Arrow interceptor test and the seventh test of the complete system, the first interception of a real "Scud". This significant test became known as the AST USFT#1. Following this test, then Defense Minister of Israel, Shaul Mofaz, said:
| “ | We are in an age of uncertainty. Countries in the 'third circle' [Iran] are continuing their efforts to acquire non-conventional capabilities along with long-ranged launch capabilities. The Arrow is the best missile system of its kind in the world, and represents a force multiplier for our future force. | ” |
AST USFT#2 was conducted at NAS Point Mugu a month later, on August 26. This test was aimed at examining the Arrow's ability to detect a splitting warhead of a separating ballistic missile. It detected the true target, but a technical malfunction reportedly prevented it from maneuvering to strike it, leading to a suspension of testing. In March–April 2005 the ability of "Green Pine" and "Golden Citron" to work with Patriot system elements operated by U.S. Army was successfully tested against simulated "Scud"-type targets during regular series of U.S.–Israeli biennial exercises code-named "Juniper Cobra". Actual testing of the complete Arrow system was resumed in December 2005, when the system successfully intercepted a target at an unspecified but reported record low altitude. This test (AST#10) was the fourteenth test of the Arrow missile and the ninth test of the complete system.
Arrow 2 Anti Ballistic Missile Block-3
On February 11, 2007 an Arrow 2 block-3 successfully intercepted and destroyed a "Black Sparrow" target missile simulating a ballistic missile at high altitude. It was the first so-called distributed weapon system test conducted in Israel, which required two Arrow units deployed some 100 km (60 mi) apart to share data on incoming threats and coordinate launching assignments. It was also the first time the Link 16 data distribution system was used to connect two Arrow units, although the system had been used in previous tests to connect Arrow and Patriot batteries. Furthermore, an improved launcher was used. Another "Juniper Cobra" exercises ran from March 10 to 20, 2007. The computer simulation used for "Juniper Cobra 2007" was similar to the computer simulation used in "Juniper Cobra 2005".
A precursor of the next block was launched without a target on March 26, 2007 in order to gather information on its flight and performance, introducing unspecified modifications to its hardware and electronics and reduced manufacturing costs by some 20 percent. Arieh Herzog, Director of IMDO, has said: "Our Arrow operational system can without a doubt deal with all of the operational threats in the Middle East, particularly in Iran and Syria."
Arrow 2 Anti Ballistic Missile Block-4
On April 15, 2008 the Arrow weapon system successfully detected and made a simulated intercept of a new target missile, the "Blue Sparrow", a successor of the "Black Sparrow" capable of simulating "Scud-C/D" missiles and reportedly the Iranian Shahab-3 as well. During the test, a target missile was launched from an IAF F-15 at a height of 90,000 feet (27.5 km). The missile split into multiple warheads, making it harder to intercept it. Nevertheless, "Green Pine" tracked the warhead, simulating an intercept. In September 2008 the IDF attempted a test of actual Arrow 2 block-4 missile against the "Blue Sparrow". The drill had to be aborted, however, when the target missile malfunctioned shortly after launch. Eventually the Arrow 2 block-4 was successfully tested against the "Blue Sparrow" on April 7, 2009.
A July 22, 2009, joint test of the Arrow 2 block-4 against an airborne target missile with a range of over 1,000 km (620 mi) once again at the NAS Point Mugu, was reportedly aborted in the final second before launch after the missile failed to establish a communications link. A target had been released from a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, the radar detected the target and transferred its tracks, but the interceptor was not launched. "Tracking of the target worked well, but tracking trajectory information that the radar transferred to the battle management center erroneously showed we would be out of the prescribed safety range, so the mission was aborted," a program source said. The aborted interception came after two earlier setbacks in the planned test, initially scheduled for July 17. The first try was scuttled due to a technical glitch in the C-17 aircraft, and a planned July 20 attempt was scrubbed due to a malfunctioning electric battery that was not providing enough power to a key element of the Arrow system. The test was widely referred to as a failure, however objectives of interoperability with other ballistic missile defense systems were achieved.
On February 22, 2011 the Arrow system successfully intercepted a long-range ballistic target missile during a flight test conducted at NAS Point Mugu. The target missile was launched from a mobile launch platform off the coast of California, within the Point Mugu test range. The test validated new block-4 versions designed to improve discriminating capabilities of the Arrow 2 interceptor. It was a body-to-body impact that completely destroyed the target.
According to Arieh Herzog, block-4 upgrades "improve the process of discrimination of what happens in the sky and the transmission of target data for much better situational control." Block-4 upgrades also refine midcourse guidance which, when coupled with improved target identification and discrimination capabilities, improves lethality.
Arrow 2 Anti Ballistic Missile Block-5
IMDO recently launched initial definition of a new block-5 upgrade to the complete Arrow system that will merge the lower-tier Arrow 2 and exoatmospheric Arrow 3 into a single national missile defense system. According to Arieh Herzog, the planned block-5 will include new ground- and airborne sensors, a command and control system, and a new target missile - the Silver Sparrow - to simulate potentially nuclear-capable delivery vehicles developed by Iran. According to U.S. Missile Defense Agency, block-5 is expected to be able to deal with "more stressing regional threats" by increasing total defended area by some 50 percent.
The planned block-5 will optimize the existing Super Green Pine radar to operate with the AN/TPY-2 radar as well as with radars commanding anti-ballistic missiles aboard United States Navy destroyers. U.S. radars will be used to support closed-loop operations if Israel and U.S. targets in the region come under attack.
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