Inclusion in this chronology does not necessarily indicate that a particular development is of direct or indirect proliferation significance. Some entries provide international or domestic context for technological development and national policymaking. Moreover, some entries may refer to developments with positive consequences for nonproliferation.

1953
Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI), the future developer of the Shavit rocket, is established.
—Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control, "Israeli Missile Milestones," Risk Report (6) 2, November/December 2000, <http://www.wisconsinproject.org/>.

1954-1967
Israel begins development of guided missiles. During this period, France and Israel collaborate closely on missile development, but the cooperation program ends due to problems with guidance systems. The program is subsequently relocated to Israel.
—W. Seth Carus, "Israeli Ballistic Missile Developments," Testimony before the Commission to Assess the Ballistic Missile Threat to the United States, 15 July 1998, http://www.fas.org/irp/threat/missile/rumfeld/pt2_carus2.htm.

1958
Israel's military research and development establishment, RAFAEL, tests a land-attack missile called the Luz. The missile is envisioned in surface-to-surface, air-to-surface, and ship-to-ship versions. The surface-launched version has a range of about 27km. The Artillery Corps eventually fields one battery of the missiles, although it apparently is not well-received by army leadership. The ship-launched version enters formal development, but the program is abandoned and replaced by the system that comes to be known as the Gabriel, which is developed by Israel Aircraft Industries with Israel Military Industries producing the rocket motors. RAFAEL has problems with the rocket motors, and never resolves problems with guidance and control.
—W. Seth Carus, "Israeli Ballistic Missile Developments," Testimony before the Commission to Assess the Ballistic Missile Threat to the United States, 15 July 1998, <http://www.fas.org/irp/threat/missile/rumfeld/pt2_carus2.htm>.

7 September 1962
Israel commissions the Jericho-I ballistic missile from the French firm Dassault Aviation. The request is for a surface-to-surface ballistic missile system capable of delivering a 750kg warhead with a range of 235-500km, with a CEP (circular error probability) of less than 1km. Israel's request also specifies a system that could launch between four and eight missiles per hour in all weather from either a fixed or mobile launcher. The request specifies a preparation time of two hours, and a success rate of 90 percent.

The Jericho-I eventually becomes a two-stage ballistic missile 13.4m long and 0.8m in diameter weighing 6.7 metric tons with four clipped-tip delta stabilizing fins at the base of the second stage and a separating warhead assembly. The first stage has a length of 4.05m and a weight of 1,950kg, and the second stage has a length of 5.0m and a weight of 4,100kg. The payload assembly is 4.35m in length with a weight of 650kg. The solid-propellant motors are later made by the Rocket Systems Division of Israel Military Industries.

Boost-phase guidance uses an inertial package incorporating a computerized auto-pilot with an unprecedented accuracy of 1/1000 of a degree. Burn-out occurs at an altitude of 150km, and the warhead separates 1ms later, re-entering at a speed of Mach 8. The Jericho-1 design is revolutionary in that it is the first French missile to use an on-board computer. This experience is useful in enabling Dassault to integrate similar technology in all subsequent French missiles, including the S-3, M-20, M-4, and the Ariane program.

The Jericho-1 (originally designated MD-620) is developed in secrecy by Dassault in cooperation with the French Ministerial Armaments Committee (DMA), but without financial support from the French government. Israeli Minister of Defense Shimon Peres directs the project, and communicates directly with Marcel Dassault.

Jean Rouault and Philippe Amblard manage the project at Dassault. Leading French firms contribute to the effort, including EMD on computers, Nord-Aviation on propulsion, Puderie de-St-Medard on propellants, Sagem on guidance components, TRT on radio telemetry, Aerazur and Hispano-Suiza on the transporter-erector launcher (TEL). The missiles are built in Dassault factories in Argenteuil and St-Cloud, with final assembly carried out by 100 French technicians and an Israeli team between May 1964 and May 1969.
—"Dassault Lifts the Lid On The Jericho Missile Story (Dassault Lève Le Voile Sur Le Missile Jericho)," Air & Cosmos/Aviation International, 6 December 1996, p. 36.

26 April 1963
The contract for "Operation Jericho" is signed between Israel and Dassault in Tel Aviv.
—"Dassault Lifts The Lid On The Jericho Missile Story (Dassault Lève Le Voile Sur Le Missile Jericho)," Air & Cosmos/Aviation International, 6 December 1996, p. 36.

23 December 1963
Israel conducts an unsuccessful test-firing of the first two stages of the Jericho-I missile at an unnamed French site. [Note: This contradicts other reports which date the first test of the Jericho-I to 1965 with some dating as late as 1967.]
—Avner Cohen, Israel and the Bomb, (New York: Columbia University Press, 1988), pp. 116, 282.

1965-1968
The Jericho-I is flight-tested 16 times. Ten of the flights are rated as successful. The launches take place at a French naval base on the Ile du Levant.
—Jane's Strategic Weapon Systems 36, "Offensive Weapons, Israel, Jericho I/2 (YA-1/YA-3)," 24 July 2001, <http://online.janes.com>; Encyclopedia Astronautica, <http://www.astronautix.com/sites/ileevant.htm>.

1 February 1965
The first test of a Jericho-I first stage takes place. [Note: It is unclear whether this is a flight test or a test of the missile engine.]
—"Dassault Lève Le Voile Sur Le Missile Jericho," Air & Cosmos/Aviation International, 6 December 1996, p. 36.

16 March 1966
Test flight of Jericho-I missile at Ile du Levant, an offshore island in the Mediterranean near Toulon.
—Encyclopedia Astronautica, "Jericho Chronology," <http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/jericho.htm>.

30 September 1968
Israel conducts a test-flight of a Jericho-I missile at Ile du Levant.
—Encyclopedia Astronautica, "Jericho Chronology," <http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/jericho.htm>.

March 1966
Israel conducts a successful test-firing of the Jericho-I missile.
—Avner Cohen, Israel and the Bomb, (New York: Columbia University Press, 1988), p. 116.

October 1971
The New York Times reports that Israel is producing a nuclear capable ballistic missile known as the Jericho-I, at a rate of three to six missiles per month. The missiles have a "300-mile range" with a 1,000-1,500lb payload. The cost is estimated to be between $1 million to $1.5 million per missile. The Times reports that US analysts are not certain whether Israel has nuclear warheads but suggest that the Jericho is too expensive to be used to deliver conventional, high-explosive warhead. At this point, US analysts believe that Israel has nuclear weapons components that could be quickly assembled for use in a crisis with Jericho missiles or jet-fighters despite Israeli pledge not to be first country to introduce nuclear weapons into the Middle East. Some US officials are concerned that if Egypt and the Soviet Union are convinced that Israel has deployed nuclear tipped missiles capable of striking strategic Egyptian positions, the Soviets may feel impelled to deploy comparable missiles in Egypt. Such missiles would likely be operated by Soviet forces. Jericho is viewed as attempt by Israel to deter Egypt and the Soviet Union from contemplating an all-out effort to bomb Israeli cities and destroy the country
—Seth W. Carus, "Israeli Ballistic Missile Developments," Testimony before the Commission to Assess the Ballistic Missile Threat to the United States, 15 July 1998, <http://www.fas.org/irp/threat/missile/rumfeld/pt2_carus2.htm>; New York Times, 5 October 1971.

1971-1978
Israel constructs 50 Jericho-I missiles. [Note: Previously the first 14 were constructed in and delivered from France.]
—Jane's Strategic Weapon Systems 36, "Offensive Weapons, Israel, Jericho I/2 (YA-1/YA-3)," 24 July 2001, <http://online.janes.com>.

6 October 1973
Syria and Egypt launch a surprise attach against Israel in what becomes known as the Yom Kippur/Ramadan War. [Note: Israelis and many Westerners generally refer to the war as the Yom Kippur War while Arabs refer to it as the Ramadan war.]

Late 1973
Following the October 1973 War, in which South Africa provided Israel with an emergency supply of Mirage fighter parts, Israel upgrades the status of its mission in South Africa to an embassy.
—US Central Intelligence Agency, National Foreign Assessment Center, Africa Report, Supplement, 8 June 1981, secret report partially declassified and released 7 May 1996, <http://foia.ucia.gov>, p. 2.

Late 1973
Following the October 1973 War, Israel approaches the United States in an unsuccessful attempt to obtain the Pershing-I missile. [Note: The attempt may indicate that the Jericho-I missile, which has identical range as the Pershing, is not operational or experiencing technical problems, although some sources indicate that it entered service in 1973 and was deployed with nuclear warheads during the war. Other sources imply that the request for the Pershing was mainly to acquire technology to help improve the guidance system and accuracy of the Jericho-I.]
—CNS interview with missile engineer familiar with technical dimensions of South African missile program who wishes to remain anonymous.

1974
Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres and South African President John Vorster hold a secret meeting in Geneva. The two reportedly sign an agreement for strategic cooperation between the two countries. The agreement is a mutual defense pact according to which "the two countries would assist each other in wartime by supplying spare parts and ammunition from emergency stocks. Each country agreed that its territory would be used to store all types of weapons for the other country." According to Dierter Gerhardt, a senior commander in the South African navy who for many years spied for the Soviet Union, under a later clause in the agreement called "Chalet," Israel agreed to arm eight Jericho-II missiles with "special warheads" for South Africa.
—"Treasons of Conscience," Weekly Mail & Guardian, 11 August 2000, <http://www.sn.apc.org/wmail>.

1975
The US Army prepares Lance surface-to-surface missiles for possible shipment to Israel. The Lance missile has previously been deployed by the US Army in Europe armed with tactical nuclear warheads. Israel is expected eventually to receive about 300 of the missiles. Some US congressional leaders and senior Defense Department officials believe that Israel wants the Lance missile for use as a delivery vehicle for its tactical nuclear warheads. Technical problems and range limitations with the "Jericho/MD-620" missile cause US Defense Department officials to monitor closely Israeli requests for weapons technology to determine whether they could be related to improving the Jericho missile.
—Aviation Week and Space Technology, "Israel to Receive Lance Missiles, F-15s," 15 September 1975, p. 16.

1977
Israel begins development of the Jericho-II missile, possibly with funding from Iran. The Israeli designation is reported to be YA-3.
—Jane's Strategic Weapon Systems 36, "Offensive Weapons, Israel, Jericho I/2 (YA-1/YA-3)," 24 July 2001, <http://online.janes.com>.

	Updated September 2005