Israeli defense minister orders to develop anti-rocket system

In the wake of massive rocket attacks launched by Hezbollah guerillas during a one-month-long war, Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz on Thursday ordered the army to develop a system which can shoot down Katyusha rockets. During a security assessment meeting with Chief of Staff Dan Halutz, Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin and other top security establishment officials, Peretz ordered the development of a system that would be able to intercept all types of rockets, terming the system as the key to enable the army to face challenges on all of fronts.

Peretz also ordered Halutz to ensure that emergency warehouses were refilled with suitable and adequate equipment and that reservists began to receive proper training to prepare them for the next war.

A project capable of shooting down short-range rockets, known in Israel as Nautilus, has been halted in recent years. The system has been proven effective in shooting down Katyusha rockets.

The army has called for a change of priorities and resumption of development of anti-rocket systems since the war in Lebanon ended on Aug. 14.

Hezbollah militants had fired about 4,000 rockets at northern Israel in the conflict, killing 55 civilians.

Source: Xinhua