Israel fast-tracks development of short-range missile defense system

TEL AVIV — Israel is expediting the drafting of requirements and specifications for a much-needed missile and rocket defense system.

Officials said the Defense Ministry and prime contractor Rafael, Israel Armament Development Authority have agreed on requirements for a system that could intercept short-range missiles and rockets. They said the two sides have also agreed that a prototype would be ready for testing in 2009.

"We have the funding, and the development would be fast-track," an official said.

Well I have held forth on this before

Officials said the Rafael system, dubbed Iron Dome, would be ready for initial deployment by the spring of 2009. They said Iron Dome was meant to track and intercept the Kassam-class missile developed by Hamas as well as the Katyusha rocket acquired by the Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah.

The Iron Dome would use existing Israeli military radar to track incoming enemy missiles and rockets. The radar, developed by Israel Aircraft Industries subsidiary Elta, would determine trajectory and assess the landing point of the projectiles in a process meant to take less than one second.

Officials said Iron Dome's command and control system would be programmed to fire an interceptor to stop an enemy missile from landing in an inhabited area. They said the interceptor, estimated to cost up to $40,000, would be based on a ground-launch version of the Python-class air-to-air missile.

The Python-5 short-range missile, with a speed of Mach 4, has been successfully tested against low-flying and stealth unmanned aerial vehicles.

Officials said Iron Dome would seek to intercept the incoming rocket at the peak of its trajectory. They said this could prevent fallout of any chemical weapons warheads fired by Hamas and Hizbullah.

Considering what is going on in Sderot, and what occurred in Haifa last year, what the hell is taking so long?