U.S. Seeks to Increase Production of Israeli Missile Interceptor

Israeli missile defenses are expected to receive a boost early next month when the Bush administration submits its fiscal 2005 defense budget to Congress, the China Daily reported Saturday (see GSN, Jan. 14).

If approved, the budget would support a doubling of the production rate for the Israeli Arrow missile interceptor, produced jointly by the United States and Israeli, according to defense analysts.

“We will be increasing production in a substantial way,” said one Israeli source following U.S.-Israeli talks on missile defense cooperation.

Congress delivered $154.8 million for the Arrow in fiscal 2004 and $145.7 million a year earlier, according to the U.S. Missile Defense Agency.

Israel conducted a successful Arrow test last month (see GSN, Dec. 16, 2003), and an intercept test using an actual Scud missile target is planned for this summer in the United States (China Daily, Jan. 17).

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