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The Arrow missile defense system being test-fired overnight Sunday. (Israel Aircraft Industries)
Last update - 00:00 11/02/2007
Steinitz: Arrow test gives Israel advantage over Syria, Iran
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent, and Agencies

Israel's latest test of its Arrow missile defense system proves Israel has a jump on its fiercest enemies, Iran and Syria, a senior lawmaker on the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee said Monday.

Israel successfully tested the Arrow anti-missile system Sunday night, in its first nighttime trial, intercepting a test target that simulated the warhead of a long-range Iranian surface-to-surface Shihab-3 missile.

"The test yesterday was exceptional," said MK Yuval Steinitz, a former head of the committee. "It proved it can bring down any kind of ballistic missile, a capability no power in the world possesses."
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He said that, "Even if Iran or Syria were to develop more sophisticated missiles than they now have, Israel is one step ahead."

Lieutenant Colonel Moshe Fattal, a senior official in the Defense Ministry department responsible for the project, said Sunday that the successful test firing of the Arrow missile shows that Israel can now defend itself against an Iranian nuclear missile threat.

"The test proves that Israel is prepared to deal with a missile attack from Iran, including a nuclear one," Fattal told Army Radio.

"The missile is capable of dealing with future Syrian and Iranian threats as we see them, as of now. I believe that the citizens of Israel can sleep peacefully."

A defense establishment official took issue with Fattal's assessment, however. "There is no significance to the results of the test," the radio quoted the unnamed official as saying Monday. "There is simply no such thing as defense against nuclear missiles."

Apparently coincidentally (because the timing of the trials are determined by weather conditions) the test was conducted on the anniversary of the outbreak of the Iranian revolution.

But Fattal told Haaretz there was no connection with the Iranian event. "What is important is that the system worked under extreme conditions, simulating those that might exist in reality. This is a happy moment for us," he said.

This is the 15th test of the Arrow. The previous one, in December 2005, was also successful. Two Arrow batteries, one at Palmahim in the south and the other at Ein Shemer in the center of the country, tracked the missile with the help of a Patriot battery.

Deputy Chief of Staff Moshe Kaplinski and Israel Air Force Commander Elyezer Shkedy were at Palmahim during the trial, which took place at 9:18 P.M.

The Defense Ministry said that "the purpose of the test was to study the improved operational capabilities of the system, which include expansion of the intercept envelope against future targets that might threaten Israel. In this trial the system was examined in a combined operational configuration of two batteries that were at a geographical distance, while taking into consideration lessons learned in the past. The interceptor, manufactured by Israel Aircraft Industries and Boeing, was launched at night, simulating an operational scenario in all its components.
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  1.   How good does it work when it is raining? 22:20  |  Lori Cowen 11/02/07
  2.   Lori, how good does it work when you are loaded 22:55  |  Momo 11/02/07
  3.   Does not sound like much of a test 23:01  |  Mark Lincoln 11/02/07
  4.   Good news. Buona fortuna IDF 23:06  |  Vittorio 11/02/07
  5.   Israel test firing missile 23:23  |  fubar 11/02/07
  6.   lori cowen 23:41  |  rich 11/02/07
  7.   cluster bomb missile 00:06  |  Angel of wind 12/02/07
  8.   No System Is Perfect 00:16  |  US Citizen 12/02/07
  9.   One more problem solved 00:48  |  Lynn 12/02/07
  10.   Dropped a target? 00:57  |  Come on 12/02/07
  11.   Click fool wants a missile against UFO. 01:01  |  mb 12/02/07
  12.   #2 Clickfool, you naughty boy... 01:12  |  Maureen Ann 12/02/07
  13.   to clickfool - does Iran has anything equal? 01:14  |  mb 12/02/07
  14.   fubar # 6 01:27  |  ChanahS 12/02/07
  15.   Really good stuff, Israel 01:35  |  Jonathan S 12/02/07
  16.   Fubar in Cleveland 01:39  |  rich 12/02/07
  17.   Fubar, you speak complete rubbish 01:41  |  Nephtaly 12/02/07
  18.   Lori`s dirty bomb 01:56  |  Zvi 12/02/07
  19.   Mazel Tov! 02:03  |  RA 12/02/07
  20.   to the fool with the click 02:13  |  bo 12/02/07
  21.   again I will ask, how good does it work when it is raining? 02:18  |  Lori Cowen 12/02/07
  22.   to Lori Cowen 02:20  |  bo 12/02/07
  23.   It doesn`t sound like much of a test.... 02:24  |  Deborah 12/02/07
  24.   Clickfool is furious that it works (#2) 02:43  |  Fortuna 12/02/07
  25.   To Marc Lincoln, "the expert" from Houston. 02:53  |  Fortuna 12/02/07
  26.   #6 Fubar 03:11  |  * BEN JABO 12/02/07
  27.   Enough Saber Rattling 03:47  |  Ibn Filastin 12/02/07
  28.   Dirty bomb raining down? 04:04  |  Steve G 12/02/07
  29.   to 18 - fool of click is a looser!Who was Jonathan Carlos Bracho- 04:13  |  mb 12/02/07
  30.   to fool click Iran helped tokill a Sussex man in service 04:27  |  mb 12/02/07
  31.   Clickfools a fool 05:38  |  dmg420 12/02/07
  32.   Lori you have no idea what your talking about. 05:48  |  DMG420 12/02/07
  33.   NEPHTALY-AID is necessary 06:06  |  Jon Feigenbaum 12/02/07
  34.   #4 - You are no expert are you? 07:18  |  Gad Shlomi 12/02/07
  35.   Beautiful. 07:35  |  Zuriel 12/02/07
  36.   Scenarios to consider 08:01  |  Dror 12/02/07
  37.   Clickfool: the only dummy warhead here is your head! 08:10  |  Dan 12/02/07
  38.   #13 Rich 08:11  |  Ben 12/02/07
  39.   How come it could not stop the Katuosha ? 08:22  |  Adel 12/02/07
  40.   Clickfool & Co. 09:13  |  S 12/02/07
  41.   what is rteally effective ? ANUCLEAR WIPE OUT OF IRAN 09:30  |  paul harris 12/02/07
  42.   The arrow is a bandaid 09:52  |  Dror 12/02/07
  43.   Another test, Another round 09:55  |  Dror 12/02/07
  44.   Thanks for the advice 10:18  |  General Sabra 12/02/07
  45.   To # 6f uba 10:48  |  Watcher 12/02/07
  46.   General Patata from Palmachim? #47 10:52  |  Dror 12/02/07
  47.   #46 CLICKFOOL AND REALITY NO ALTERNATIVE 11:00  |  paul harris 12/02/07
  48.   Dror 11:01  |  "General Patata " 12/02/07
  49.   Blind faith in technology is a SURE WAY to die 11:37  |  spyguy 12/02/07
  50.   Click-idiot: Don`t Speak When You Don`t Know 11:42  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 12/02/07
  51.   Gay Spy from San Fransicko 12:01  |  Dror 12/02/07
  52.   What the hell are you waiting for? 12:23  |  Finn 12/02/07
  53.   Spy Guy the Luddite: So Goodbye to Modern Medicine Also? 12:36  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 12/02/07
  54.   To Dror 12:43  |  Mark B. 12/02/07
  55.   # 41 Adel @ Bahrain 12:48  |  Joseph E . 12/02/07
  56.   Sleep peacefully? 12:48  |  Leon Blaustein 12/02/07
  57.   Dror - isn`t it nice to know that Israel`s 13:00  |  spyguy 12/02/07
  58.   Finn, be real careful what you advocate 13:07  |  spyguy 12/02/07
  59.   Ovadiah ben Avraham - It is IMPOSSIBLE 13:13  |  spyguy 12/02/07
  60.   Spy Guy: Well, the Torah, that is Technology of Another Order 13:36  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 12/02/07
  61.   Update: Last Night`s Test Included Decoys 13:41  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 12/02/07
  62.   #6 Fubar and reality 14:13  |  lenny 12/02/07
  63.   to spyguy Israel doesnt intend to destroy the world.... 14:20  |  mb 12/02/07
  64.   Propaganda by Israel 14:22  |  Chris Linthwaite 12/02/07
  65.   SPYGUY.It may not be PC but the "unity govt" is not a peace move. 14:27  |  PETER SM 12/02/07
  66.   #21 Lorri Cowen 14:33  |  Itsik 12/02/07
  67.   HUBRIS 14:34  |  Meni 12/02/07
  68.   Lieutenant Colonel Moshe Fattal statements may be indicative 14:56  |  Joseph E . 12/02/07
  69.   I think the war will come much sooner 15:03  |  The Equalizer 12/02/07
  70.   PETER SM - No peace ever, is a terrible 15:23  |  spyguy 12/02/07
  71.   What so special about "night interception"?!!! 15:30  |  Absolute Sweden 12/02/07
  72.   Presumably Dumb Iranians! 15:38  |  An Arab Neighbor 12/02/07
  73.   Steinitz says Israel can now bring down any type of missile 15:40  |  SusieQ 12/02/07
  74.   Should Iran nuclear ambiguity be put to test 15:46  |  Joseph E . 12/02/07
  75.   Equalizer - something to think about 15:46  |  spyguy 12/02/07
  76.   This arrow threaten the Palestinians life 15:53  |  Tamir Gaza 12/02/07
  77.   Iran`s nuclear bomb capacity must still be destroyed 15:58  |  Chaim 12/02/07
  78.   josef e. please study english before posting 16:01  |  vladimir 12/02/07
  79.   Absolute Sweden: System is Radar *and* Infrared 16:06  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 12/02/07
  80.   43Dror. You forgot Iran further west and Hamas south... 16:07  |  bat yam 12/02/07
  81.   Propaganda from Linthwaite 16:22  |  Jonathan S 12/02/07
  82.   # 70 Spyguy....yours is a terrible way to live 16:42  |  albert amato 12/02/07
  83.   Missile Hetz,by night and weather conditions 16:47  |  Le renne 12/02/07
  84.   # 74 Vladimir @ Rio 16:51  |  Joseph E . 12/02/07
  85.   BANDITS NEVER SLEEP PEACEFULLY 16:56  |  arab 12/02/07
  86.   hetz by night 16:56  |  Kalinka 12/02/07
  87.   Israel`s "fiercest enemies" 17:02  |  Ellen 12/02/07
  88.   #81 Jonathan S Lies and Propaganda 17:07  |  Chris Linthwaite 12/02/07
  89.   Give advantage against disadvantage -Steinitz is a fool 17:16  |  Sal 12/02/07
  90.   Weather: More a Data Acquisition & Range Safety Issue 17:25  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 12/02/07
  91.   # 85 Ellen @ Point Arena / CA 17:40  |  Joseph E . 12/02/07
  92.   As always, for thausands of years, JEWISH 17:43  |  TOMY 12/02/07
  93.   fubar #6--thanks for nothing 18:00  |  Paul Freedman 12/02/07
  94.   to #85 ARAB 18:04  |  Ali Baba 12/02/07
  95.   #76 Tamir - stop being so silly 18:16  |  * BEN JABO 12/02/07
  96.   #76 Tamir - stop being so silly 18:16  |  * BEN JABO 12/02/07
  97.   # 87 Ellen @ Point Arena / CA 18:17  |  Joseph E . 12/02/07
  98.   Fantastic, if only it was true. 18:24  |  Martin Bourroughs 12/02/07
  99.   BEN JABO why would Israel have these kind of Arrows then? 19:02  |  Tamir Gaza 12/02/07
  100.   TO TAMIR GAZA LONDON 19:13  |  DANNY. 12/02/07
  101.   PLEASE GOD DESTROY IRAN WITH YOUR RATH. SHOW EM WHO,S BOSS. 19:15  |  DANNY. 12/02/07
  102.   TO 87 ISRAELS FIECEST ENEMYS 19:22  |  DANNY. 12/02/07
  103.   TO TOMY OF NEW-YORK. 19:26  |  DANNY. 12/02/07
  104.   To Linthwaite and his falsifications 19:30  |  Jonathan S 12/02/07
  105.   it still depends on human reaction 19:41  |  flashman 12/02/07
  106.   The Usual Brilliance! 19:53  |  Ronnie J Pike II 12/02/07
  107.   to #70 20:46  |  Ronnie J Pike II 12/02/07
  108.   Arrow System 21:31  |  P. J. Casey 12/02/07
  109.   So What 21:46  |  Avraham 12/02/07
  110.   to arab neighbor 22:02  |  mb 12/02/07
  111.   SPYGUY.Is it beyond you to admitt any Arab responsibility. 22:12  |  PETER SM 12/02/07
  112.   spyguy continues his threats just as his brethren 22:28  |  yirmi 12/02/07
  113.   arrow test 22:35  |  Alex 12/02/07
  114.   ARROW 22:39  |  Putin 12/02/07
  115.   # 2 Momo.re:Lori. HE LOOKS LIKE S DUCK,HE MOVES LIKE A DUCK,.. 22:41  |  Kath` 12/02/07
  116.   #106 Ronnie j 22:45  |  Yukon 12/02/07
  117.   # Vittorio. YES INDEED,BUONA FORTUNA IAF... 22:45  |  Kath` 12/02/07
  118.   TO ALL WHO THINK THEY ARE ADDRESSING CLICKFOOL... 22:58  |  Kath` 12/02/07
  119.   #105, flashman 23:08  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 12/02/07
  120.   yirmi - no threats, just caution statements 23:26  |  spyguy 12/02/07
  121.   Pat on the back 23:30  |  Baz Mann 12/02/07
  122.   Haaretz. my post to #2 Momo...Read,find and put out?.... 00:04  |  Kath` 13/02/07
  123.   cipiora juliana kohn 00:04  |  flashman 13/02/07
  124.   For Kath # 111 00:08  |  SusieQ 13/02/07
  125.   They seek him here, they seek him there # 111 00:16  |  The Pimpernel 13/02/07
  126.   Haaretz.........#post 2 Momo.Where is it?down the plug hole? 00:34  |  Kath` 13/02/07
  127.   fat contracts 01:06  |  Pssd Off American 13/02/07
  128.   Military superiority of Israel - factor of stability fo the world 01:22  |  Vittorio 13/02/07
  129.   Tamir Gaza # 99 For Defense 01:30  |  Jeff Northridge 13/02/07
  130.   propaganda is the name of the game 01:38  |  Mark B. 13/02/07
  131.   Lori Cowen - the style of the test says something 02:30  |  Mark Lincoln 13/02/07
  132.   Fortuna - a sub sonic missile? 02:39  |  Mark Lincoln 13/02/07
  133.   Fortuna - a sub sonic missile? 02:39  |  Mark Lincoln 13/02/07
  134.   Mark Lincoln # 121 Big Things Have Small Beginnings 03:23  |  Jeff Northridge 13/02/07
  135.   #76 Tamir the genius 05:01  |  Sheikh Rattle & Roll 13/02/07
  136.   A Technological Achievement not always a good defense 05:28  |  David Schiby 13/02/07
  137.   To Kath` # 111. CLICKFOOL ID IN THIS VERY DEBATE 05:29  |  Fortuna 13/02/07
  138.   ARROW TEST 05:41  |  Gary PIneda 13/02/07
  139.   Psychological Invulnerability 05:50  |  Fortuna 13/02/07
  140.   #99 Tamir - It`s not the arrows used in Cowboys & Indians 05:56  |  * BEN JABO 13/02/07
  141.   #99 - Tarmir - Here`s a better reason 06:06  |  * BEN JABO 13/02/07
  142.   No agreement on the out com, ? 06:09  |  edward Cohen 13/02/07
  143.   dummy writer 06:12  |  edward Cohen 13/02/07
  144.   Kath on the disappearing Clickfool 06:39  |  Ed 13/02/07
  145.   response to # 1 Lori Cowen 07:05  |  Kipperraes 13/02/07
  146.   Re: #144 eD 08:14  |  Big 13/02/07
  147.   Israelis "sleeping peacefully" 08:17  |  Hani هاني 13/02/07
  148.   #54 Mark B 11:42  |  Aramis 13/02/07
  149.   Mark Lincoln: Read My Posts 12:01  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 13/02/07
  150.   Clickfool Embarrassed: Requested His Moronic Posts to be Removed 12:23  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 13/02/07
  151.   Haaretz Censor ? 15:40  |  Hani هاني 13/02/07
  152.   # 137 Fortuna,TO THE OTHERS WHO MISUNDERSTOOD MY POST 17:43  |  Kath` 13/02/07
  153.   @148 Aramis in CA/USA 17:49  |  Mark B. 13/02/07
  154.   Arrow Test 17:56  |  Gary PIneda 13/02/07
  155.   many pronged survival strategy 19:42  |  j 13/02/07
  156.   #87 Syria and Iran... 00:00  |  henri 14/02/07
  157.   #144 Clickfools disappearing post 02:44  |  * BEN JABO 14/02/07
  158.   ISRAEL PREPARES FOR INEVITABLE 04:35  |  Joseph 25/02/07
  159.   true or false 06:04  |  arista 25/02/07
  160.   Katousha 03:09  |  Wspencerchurch 26/02/07
  161.   And then what? 23:27  |  Iz 26/02/07
  162.   TO LYN NO 9 19:44  |  DANNY. 17/01/08
  163.   #87 - Evidence please 19:22  |  Reza 07/04/09
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