In the hush of early morning along the shores of Eilat, the southern city where the Israeli desert The Negev – meets the tongue of the Red Sea stretching from the Gulf of Aqaba, tranquility is preserved. Far to the north in the Negev, the clash known as the “Iron Sword” war unfolds, yet here, peace remains undisturbed.
However, on October 31st 2023, high above the skies, far from Israel’s borders, an unexpected drama unfolded. A ballistic missile, capable of striking targets 2,000 kilometers away, was launched from Yemen by the Houthi insurgency, aimed at the touristic city of Eilat. But the “Green Pine” radar, strategically stationed and operating 24/7 to protect the boundaries of the State of Israel, detected and tracked the perilous projectile.
Triumph in the Skies: Israel’s ‘Arrow’ defence System Achieves Historic Interception Milestone
In a historic first for this integrated strategic defence system, the combined capabilities of the IAI-Elta radar systems and the ‘Arrow’ missile interceptor system executed a triumphant interception. This momentous achievement marked the first successful combat engagement of its kind for this specific system. The interception, executed with precision, destroyed the incoming missile high above, far from Israel’s borders. This pivotal operation ensured the safety of civilians on the ground and aircraft in flight, demonstrating the system’s advanced defensive prowess and strategic importance in aerial defence.
In the somber realms of national security, the specter of ballistic missile threats looms larger than ever against the backdrop of global conflicts. The war in Ukraine has seen a barrage of Russian missiles targeting Ukrainian soil; Iran-backed Yemeni missiles menace Israel and Gulf states; and in the Far East, the undisclosed stockpiles of long-range ballistic missiles held by North Korea contribute to a tense global stage. Therefore, sovereign nations under this shadow must possess early detection capabilities for ballistic missile attacks, a prerequisite for mounting a defensive response.
Green Pine Radar: Ensuring Security Against Ballistic Threats
IAI’s Elta Group has long been on the frontline of defending against long-range ballistic missiles. Triggered by Iraqi missile attacks during the First Gulf War, IAI-Elta has since been the cradle for developing world-class radar systems, boasting a broad portfolio of relevant technologies, including the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA), pioneering both the ‘eyes’ and ‘brain’ of the “Arrow” ballistic missile defence program. At the time, it was the most ambitious project ever undertaken by the company, with the development team delivering an operational system in a mere 32 months. The Green Pine radar was first deployed in 1997 as part of the renowned Arrow system, which earned Israel’s National defence Prize in 2003.
Since then, IAI-Elta has accumulated over twenty-five years of experience within this vital program, becoming the world’s most successful radar house in the domain of ballistic missile defence. Designed to identify and track incoming missiles at long ranges and beyond the horizon, Green Pine meets the most challenging of requirements. These include the capability to direct precise countermeasures against swiftly approaching targets, while maintaining vigilance against multiple simultaneous threats. The system has repeatedly proven this capability in operational terms in recent years.
The most recent testament to Green Pine’s standout capabilities is found in the early and accurate detection, tracking, and successful interception of the above-mentioned ballistic missiles launched from Yemen towards the city of Eilat. Since its first launch, the system has recognized and intercepted additional missiles fired by the Shiite militias in Yemen. Green Pine’s exemplary performance in both air surveillance and fire control modes, as an integral part of the anti ballistic missile system Arrow 3, has thus been decisive in averting death and destruction.
IAI’s Elta takes particular pride in the system’s evolution and its sustained ability to meet shifting threat landscapes. Tailored to withstand new challenges and demands with enhanced capabilities, Green Pine autonomously detects and tracks both tactical ballistic missiles (TBM) over long distances, in all weather conditions, and in a saturated electromagnetic environment, ensuring that vigilance never falters.
The entire system, from individual microwave components to the large electronic assemblies, was developed by IAI-Elta, which maintains full control over production and assembly at its facility in Ashdod, Israel which some may refer as the startup nation. The Green Pine radar software, inclusive of unique and advanced algorithms, is also entirely implemented in-house, grantingthe capacity to uphold stringent quality control and to efficiently implement ongoing hardware and software enhancements throughout the system’s extended lifecycle. It also enables performance parameter optimization of Green Pine to align with the specific operational scenarios of the client.
Green Pine is the cornerstone of IAI-ELTA’s leading status in the development of ABM radar. Green Pine’s ability to classify and identify targets effectively and reliably without false alarms enhances early warning and enables quicker activation of air defence capabilities, creating more opportunities for target interception. This is an invaluable asset for those nations contending with the threat of ballistic missiles.
Combined with a variety of systems provided by IAI in the realms of aviation, space, and security in air, at sea, on land, and in cyberspace, Green Pine system stands at the forefront of the effort to endow nations with high-level national security, vigilance against dangerous threats, and the ability for states to live securely and prosper.
