Israel looking for better anti-missile systems

Israel's new defense minister Ehud Barak says the country has to be able to defend its skies against any kind of enemy missile within the next three to five years. Barak, whose name already adorns a missile system, believes that a robust, multi-layer active defense system designed to intercept rockets and missiles of all kinds could ensure that "an absolute majority" of missiles launched at Israel will not reach their targets.

Israel's vulnerability to missiles was exposed in last year's war in Lebanon, when the Hezbollah militia fired thousands of rockets into northern Israel. Palestinian militants from the Gaza strip have continued to fire crude unguided Qassam rockets into Israel, undeterred by deterrent measures and punitive raids.

Israeli military analysts believe that Syria has closely studied the last Lebanon war and would focus on missile strikes in case of a new war with Israel, which already has an operational anti-missile system called Arrow. However, it is only effective against long-range ballistic missiles, including Iranian missiles with nuclear warheads.

But Israel is doggedly developing another rocket interceptor, part of a defence project called Kipat Barzel (iron dome), which it says will be effective against the Qassam and Katyusha rockets favoured by Palestinian militiants and the Hezbollah.

The government-owned firm Rafael is developing a third system, in collaboration with US firm Raytheon, called Sharvit Kesamim (magic wand), which is supposed to intercept medium range rockets like Iran's Zelzal.

Channel 2 TV, which filmed Barak's visit to Rafael on 31 July, said that a project for "melting" rockets with a laser beam was back on the drawing board, after having been shelved in the past.

Barak, a distinguished former army general himself, also wants to raise two more divisions and improve active protection for tanks and troop carriers. His priority, though, is to reinstate the training levels that had existed in the past.

The United States has agreed to increase its military aid to Israel to $3 billion a year over the coming 10 years, and Barak will try hard to convince Israeli finance minister Ronni Bar-On to provide the rest of the money for his military plans.