Last update - 00:00 22/01/2008
Israel unveils plans for missile to counter Hezbollah missiles
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Israel's arms development firm, unveiled plans for a new missile system Tuesday designed to intercept mid to long-range rockets and missiles of the kind used by Hezbollah during the Second Lebanon War.
The firm introduced the "Stunner" missile during a visit from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, the Prime Minister's Office said.
Jointly developed by Rafael and the U.S. defense contractor Raytheon as a counter to medium-range missiles and rockets, Stunner is likely to become operational in four years. It will be incorporated into the new Magic Wand anti-missile system.
Because of the advanced technologies involved, the estimated cost of each individual missile is the relatively high sum of several hundred thousand dollars.
A defense source said Tuesday that the missile is meant to serve as the interceptor element of a defensive system called Magic Wand. The system is meant to provide a defense against missiles and rockets whose range is between 40 and 250 kilometers, like Hezbollah's Zilzal and Fajr missiles.
The first layer of this defensive structure will include Iron Dome, which Rafael is developing against Qassam and Katyusha rockets. That system's intercepting missile is dubbed Tamir.
Magic Wand and Iron Dome will complement the Arrow missile defense system, which intercepts long-range missiles and is already operational.
During Tuesday's visit to the Rafael headquarters, Olmert reviewed the development of various systems. Last year, the government approved plans to push forward with upgrading Israel's anti-missile capabilities.
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