[Stars and Stripes] John Vandiver - U.S. troops took part in a missile defense exercise in Israel last week that for the first time incorporated a U.S.-owned radar system deployed to the country in October. The Army/Navy Transportable Radar Surveillance system, which was made available at the request of Israel's government, is situated at Nevatim air base in the Negev desert. About 100 Europe-based troops continue to operate the X-Band radar, which is intended to give Israel early warning in the event of a missile launch from Iran. Last Monday, Israel conducted a test of its Arrow anti-missile system that involved shooting down a rocket that simulated Iran's Shihab missile - the first Israeli test to include the U.S. radar. The X-Band radar system, reportedly capable of tracking a baseball-size object from a distance of 2,900 miles, is expected to enable Israel to more rapidly activate its missile-defense system in the event of an attack.
2009-04-13 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive