Article Posted on : - Jan 24, 2012

Arrow launch. A Boeing photo.

TEL AVIV (BNS): Boeing announced that it has renewed its work agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) on the Arrow Weapon System.

Leaders of both companies gathered at IAI headquarters in Tel Aviv on Thursday for a signing ceremony that also marked the 10th anniversary of the Boeing and IAI partnership.

"The Arrow programme demonstrates Boeing's commitment to developing international missile defence partnerships around the globe," said Boeing Network & Space Systems President Roger Krone.

"We are pleased to mark this 10-year milestone by expanding our cooperation on missile defence initiatives with our partner IAI."

Over the past 10 years, Arrow, the missile defence system, has become a vital anti-ballistic-missile defence strategy for Israel's national defence.

IAI is the prime contractor for the Arrow Weapon System. It initiated, developed and deployed the in-service Arrow 2 programme and, together with Boeing, is developing the Arrow 3 system -- a crucial asset in Israel's multi-tier anti-ballistic-missile defence strategy.

"This new agreement is the next logical step in our relationship with Boeing and a strong opportunity for both companies to play a bigger role in the missile defence market. It is based on a strong foundation of successful cooperation," said Itzhak Nissan, IAI president and CEO.

The Arrow programme has been a cooperative effort between the US Missile Defense Agency and the Israel Missile Defense Organization since 2002.