Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)
ISRAEL LINE
Thursday, November 5, 1998
DEFENSE MINISTRY TO DEVELOP PILOTLESS
ANTI-MISSILE PLANE
The Ministry of Defense has decided to move ahead with
plans to develop a missile-bearing pilotless plane capable of
flying at 50,000 feet and attacking long-range missiles upon
their launch, rather than during their re-entry as with the Arrow
anti-missile missile, HA'ARETZ reported. The cost for the new
plane, dubbed the HA-10, is expected to reach more than $2
billion, spread out over seven to 10 years, and Israel is
expected to ask the United States to help finance the project.
Israel is raising the concept of the defensive craft now because
of developments in research for the project and because of
increasing awareness in Washington's political establishment
of the dangers posed by the Iranian long-range missile project.
A delegation from the Defense Ministry is scheduled to depart
for Washington this evening, where it is expected to engage in
preliminary discussions with Pentagon counterparts on the
year 2000 Defense Ministry budget. Among others, the
delegation will include Chief of Intelligence Maj. Gen. Amos
Malka, and Maj. Gen. Shlomo Yanai, head of the IDF Planning
Division.
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