The Ministry of Defense announced the completion of a series of successful interception tests of the "Magic Wand" air defense system, designed to protect against a variety of missiles. Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon: "Another layer in the ability to provide protection"
The Ministry of Defense announced yesterday (Monday) the completion of a series of successful interception tests of the "Magic Wand" air defense system, designed to protect against a variety of missiles, heavy rockets and drones, in a layer of protection between the Iron Dome and the Arrow system.
The series of tests ended this morning at the simulated test field in the south, in preparation for handing over the system to the Air Force in the next four months and declaring it operational in the coming year.
The system will be based on four batteries, with the Air Force receiving two batteries in the first phase. The system can operate stationary like the Arrow system or mobile like the Iron Dome. The defense establishment stated that the system is capable of detecting and intercepting target missiles with warheads of up to hundreds of kilograms of explosives per missile.
Defense Minister Moshe (Bogie) Ya'alon commented on the success of the tests on the system and said that "the successful test this morning on the 'Magic Wand' system constitutes another pillar in the ability of the defense system to provide protection to the State of Israel, its citizens and its strategic facilities. The development of the system is a huge achievement of the defense industries in Israel, in this case under the leadership of 'Rafael' and in cooperation with the aerospace industry and the company 'Elbit Systems', as well as by the personnel of Mpaat and the Wall Directorate in the Ministry of Defense, and the Israeli Air Force. This is another proof of the impressive abilities and the enormous commitment of the developers, engineers, technicians and others involved in the craft. They deserve all praise and appreciation from the citizens of Israel.
"The security reality around us requires Israel to possess first-rate offensive and defensive capabilities. Along with the ability to reach our enemies anytime and anywhere, along the borders and even far from them, thanks to excellent intelligence and a sophisticated and powerful offensive capability, Israel is developing layers of defense that include, in addition to the 'magic wand' system, the 'Arrow' and 'Iron Dome' systems. These are the leading defense and interception systems in the world, and are a result of the rare quality that exists in us. A quality that strengthens the strength of the State of Israel and its strategic capabilities.
"The 'Magic Wand' system is expected to enter full operational activity in the Air Force during 2016, and today's successful test proves its maturity and readiness. This is also the time to thank our great friend the United States, a key partner in the financing and development of this important project, further proof of the extraordinary relationship between the security establishments of the two countries and being a cornerstone of our national security."
"A small, agile and deadly interceptor"
Lt. Col. Aviram Hasson, head of the high-level systems department in the Ministry of Defense's Wall Directorate, says in a video released by the Ministry of Defense's spokeswoman: "We have just finished a series of tests on the "Magic Wand" weapon system. The system was challenged in a variety of scenarios that are similar to the scenario in which it will be required upon deployment. The system passed all the tests with great success and is currently ready to be handed over to the Air Force for use by the experienced fighters there. There is no doubt that the system is the cutting edge of technology. A magic wand interceptor is a small, agile and deadly interceptor. There is nothing like him in the world."
Fini Jungman, manager of the "Magic Wand" program at Rafael says: "The magic wand experiments end a decade of developing the most advanced technologies in the world, next-generation technologies that do not exist in other systems in the world. During the experiments we simulated real targets that were launched towards a protected area. The system discovered these threats, carried out interception plans, chose the appropriate plan and actually launched interceptors against the threats when, at long ranges and at high altitude, the interceptors hit exactly the expected and planned point."
The "Golden Almond" system from Elbit Systems is the control and monitoring center and the interception management of the "Magic Wand" system.
The "Golden Almond" system from Elbit Systems is the control and monitoring center and the interception management of the "Magic Wand" system. The system provides protection against ballistic targets and short-range rockets by controlling the components of the "Magic Wand" weapon system and in coordination with the "Iron Dome" batteries, as well as protection against surface-to-surface missile targets handled by the "Magic Wand" through the "Golden Atrog" system, which is a system The control and control of the "arrow".
The system calculates the trajectory of the threat and builds a situational picture while identifying the type of target, assessing the level of the threat and coordinating the interception of the targets, through a connection to the intelligence and defense systems and the various sensors. The "Shaked Zahav" system is an advanced system based on knowledge and many years of operational experience in the field of control and control, which has been accumulated at Elbit Systems for over two decades.
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The problem with these systems is political.
In the past it was hoped that there was no defense against missile attacks and in the more distant past against air attacks, the IDF's tactic was offensive "to move the ball into the opponent's territory" This tactic has proven itself, in the previous Israeli wars from the War of Liberation through the Sinai operation, the Six Days, Yom Kippur and the First Lebanon and other operations...no Only in the prevention and destruction of the threats in advance, but also in the intimidation and deterrence of the enemy.
The Second Lebanon War and Operation Protective Edge proved that when the IDF has such a defense system, we trust it too much and are not so quick to attack. Out at our loss.
Right.
Protection of cities, sensitive facilities (airports!), expensive facilities.
Even if you managed to intercept 20 out of 100 attacking missiles, and you eliminated the 20 highest quality ones - you reduced the volume of damage not by 20 percent, but by 90.
Yossi, another important point, the missiles that were intercepted were the ones that could have caused the greatest damage, depending of course on what exactly it would have hit, but in a city - every hit means both many deaths and a very large financial loss, often more than the price of the missile.
The cost of the arrow should be measured by the consciousness effect it creates for us and the enemy and not the cost of the Scud.
If we and the enemy know that we are protected, maybe not against 200000 missiles but with barrages of 20 missiles per day, it increases the country's freedom of maneuver, to take more surgical methods and to reject a hammer blow. Reduces the chance of harm to the civilian population. All the other countries in the world such as Russia in Syria, we will not see the UN committees meeting even once. But Israel, it is enough that one is killed and immediately all the followers of the nations of the world cry out.
Lachilles: Unfortunately, in order to neutralize an "outdated Scud" you need the arrow, which is much more expensive. The wand is designed to operate in the atmosphere - adding capabilities to it in space will make it much more expensive. Scud flies at a high altitude where the wings of a normal missile do not function because there is not enough air. But the possible economic damage from a rocket - the destruction of a building and several deaths - can also be more than the cost of the arrow.
The big challenge facing the planners is to reduce the production cost of the interceptor missile. It is not possible that if the enemy launches an outdated Fajr missile or Scud, the cost of which starts in the few thousands, and in response each interceptor missile costs in the six-figure range (in dollars, of course).
First of all amazing! And kudos to everyone who was involved in the development of this wonderful system that sounds (according to publications I've read on other sites) like something that is on the border of science fiction. Does anyone know if there is an intention to sell this system to other countries? (For India for example) And isn't there a danger that the secrets of the system will leak out to the enemy and allow him to find loopholes in it that he will exploit to his advantage?
(I'm sure the Russians also have a clear interest in understanding how this system works)
In the background of the top picture you can also see the alien teleportation experiment.