Israel's top ballistic missile shield proved itself against Iran. Now, a next-gen update is on the way.
Since last year, Arrow has shielded Israel from three rounds of substantial bombardment by Iranian missiles — the most recent of which was only days ago — and many smaller-scale attacks by the Tehran-backed Houthi rebels.
Boaz Levy, the CEO of state-run Israel Aerospace Industries, said in an interview that the company is working on developing a new interceptor missile for Arrow, and it's about to go into the production phase.
Arrow is a highly advanced air defense system jointly produced by IAI and the US aerospace contractor Boeing. The first iteration of this system, Arrow 2, was deployed in 2000 and is able to intercept missiles in the upper atmosphere. The newer Arrow 3 became operational in 2017 and can hit targets in space.
Both Arrow systems use a two-stage solid-fueled interceptor to shoot down incoming ballistic missiles, and together, they make up the top tier of Israel's sophisticated air defense network, which also includes the well-known Iron Dome system and David's Sling.
The system has been in service for many years now. Since Arrow 2 was deployed, IAI has continuously sought to increase its capabilities, first by supplementing it with Arrow 3, and now by working on the future Arrow 4 and Arrow 5, Levy, the Arrow chief engineer, said.
"We have the production line, and we have the capability, and we also have the know-how to transfer to the operational unit," he said.
The early concept work for Arrow 4 — which is a joint US-Israeli project like its predecessors — began in 2017. The interceptor is now in the final stages of development and will soon enter the initial production phase.
Final production rates will eventually be decided by Israel's Ministry of Defense, Levy said. He declined to provide a timeline, though he did disclose that "we are about to conclude the development, and it's only a matter of time until we start the production."
Arrow 4 will eventually replace the decades-old Arrow 2. Levy explained the system will have a more enhanced "shoot-look-shoot" capacity, referring to the air defense strategy of engaging a target, reviewing the results, and then engaging again if necessary. In many cases, operators may fire two interceptors to engage a single incoming missile.
"This is the new generation," he said, sharing the new technology and electronics will increase Arrow's interception capabilities with the same system it's been using for years. Arrow 5 will eventually be even more advanced than Arrow 4.
Israel's Arrow systems have seen extensive combat since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel, most notably in three major clashes with Iran — in April 2024, October 2024, and then earlier this month.
Tehran has launched at least 850 ballistic missiles at Israel over the course of these three clashes, and Arrow, alongside Israel's other defense systems and US forces in the region, intercepted most of the threats.
The exact number of Iranian missiles that Arrow has shot down is unknown, but Levy said an initial analysis of the latest clash revealed the systems intercepted at least 90% of the threats it targeted.
The Arrow systems have also frequently been tasked with shooting down missiles launched by the Houthis in Yemen. All these engagements, from Iran to the rebel group, have provided IAI with valuable data to help it develop the new interceptors.
"It's a regular procedure that we are doing. Of course, we are testing all of our capabilities through real-time simulations. And of course, any data available to us is a tool to analyze our system's capabilities," Levy said.
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