MIlitary Tech 12/10/06 Skyshield kills incoming rockets with cloud of bomblets

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WASHINGTON — Israel has been monitoring the development of a U.S.-origin rocket defense system based on an anti-aircraft gun.

Lockheed Martin has briefed the Israeli Defense Ministry on the Skyshield air defense system, which has been modified to destroy incoming short-range rockets and missiles, including the Kassam and Katyusha. "There has been a laboratory test that proved Skyshield's capability to destroy short-range rockets and missiles," an executive said. "We are now ready to conduct the first live-fire test."

Skyshield, designed for low flying unmanned aerial vehicles and helicopters, uses a tungsten round that breaks up into about 100 submunitions. The submunitions form a cloud that envelopes and destroys targets.

"We estimate that four Skyshield systems could protect an area the size of Sderot," the executive said, referring to the southern Israeli city targeted by Palestinian missile gunners.

Israel, which faced massive rocket attacks during its 34-day war with Hizbullah this year, continues to face rocket attacks from Palestinian territories.

The current tests were meant to determine whether the improved munitions could penetrate and destroy the steel plating of the Kassam and Katyusha rockets. This has been demonstrated in laboratory tests but not in the field.

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