A Russian ship launches Kalibr cruise missiles from an unknown location, on 15 July, 2022. AP File
New Delhi: Israel will test an early missile warning system in Ukraine next month, Axios reported on Thursday, adding the system purportedly outperforms Ukraine’s current missile detection technology, but is unable to halt incoming fire.
According to the report, citing officials from Kiev and Tel Aviv, Israeli military officers met their Ukrainian counterparts in Poland several times in recent months to arrange the trial.
The trial will take place in Kiev, and if successful, be expanded to other Ukrainian cities, the report added.
Israel has been using various iterations of the technology since 2005.
The Times of Israel reported that it “uses a mix of radar and electro-optic devices to detect rocket, missile, and drone launches, classify the size and threat they represent, and pinpoint on a map the areas that are in danger.” Then, smartphone, TV, or radio notifications are sent to residents of these locations advising them to seek shelter.
System tweaked for Ukraine
The system will need to be tweaked to account for Ukraine’s vast land area compared to Israel, and to detect the missiles and drones used by Russian forces, which are far more advanced than the Qassam rockets used by Palestinian militants, Axios quoted sources as saying.
Incoming rockets in Israel are typically shot down by Iron Dome air defence systems. Due to the Israeli government’s clear rejection of providing Kiev with offensive weaponry, the equipment now being shipped to Ukraine will not have any such intercepting capabilities.
In October last year, former Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz offered the warning system in place of Iron Dome devices, which Kiev had specifically requested. Israel has maintained this position under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who stated last month that any change to the status quo is impossible given the circumstances in Syria, where Israeli pilots must communicate with their Russian counterparts in order to conduct airstrikes.
While the Israeli system will give Ukrainian forces greater warning of incoming strikes, recently leaked Pentagon documents claim that the country is rapidly running out of anti-air missiles to counter them with.
According to a US Department of Defense report dated 28 February, Ukraine was set to run out of Buk anti-air missiles by the end of last week, and will expend its stockpile of S-300 missiles by early May. Although Kiev has received a number of Western-made systems – such as American Patriot and German Iris-T batteries – in place of this Soviet-era hardware, it has not gotten enough to cover the shortfall.
With inputs from agencies
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