The Obama administration has raised the prospect of selling Standard Missile-3 missile defense system, produced by Raytheon sea-based missile defense system to Israel. In return, the administration would end the current Missile Defense Agency program to develop and deploy the Arrow-3, an enhanced version of Israel's medium-tier interceptor.
SM-3, deployed on U.S. Navy cruisers, has been regarded as the most effective system to intercept enemy ballistic missiles. "SM-3 could complement Israel's existing missile defense network and the fact that its sea-based would enable the interception of ballistic missiles in the initial stage of launch," an official said.
The administration offer was part of a White House plan to cut U.S. missile defense procurement and development over the next two years. Unlike the previous administration, Obama was said to be skeptical over the effectiveness of a U.S. missile defense network.
"There is pressure that whatever U.S. [missile defense] funds are left should go to American companies without any participation of foreign partners," the official said.
Arrow-3 has marked a partnership between Boeing and the state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries. Arrow-3, expected to be deployed by 2013, was designed to intercept missiles at an altitude of more than 100 kilometers, which would enable the destruction of enemy nuclear warheads. |