JERUSALEM, 19 February, 2021 (TON): On Thursday, Israel said that together with the U.S., it has begun working on a long-range ballistic missile interceptor (Arrow-4).

"The Israel Missile Defense Organization, in the Directorate of Defense Research and Development of the Defense Ministry, and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, have commenced the development of the Arrow-4 system," a spokesperson with the defense ministry said in a statement.

According to the ministry statement, Arrow-4 will be "the next generation" of Israel's multi-layered defense doctrine to intercept missiles in the atmosphere and space.

John Hill, director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, said in the statement that the cooperative program between the two countries "illustrates U.S. commitment to assisting the government of Israel in upgrading its national missile defense capability to defend the State of Israel from emerging threats." 

However, it is said that this anti-missile system is advanced and innovative with enhanced capabilities to address a wide range of threats in the region.