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The Defense Ministry on Tuesday, 16 Iyar, conducted a test of a ballistic missile propulsion system which was fired from a base in central Israel during the morning hours.

Some residents were startled by the noise. Officials stressed the launch was planned a long time ago and in no way was it related to current events. The noise was heard by many residents in areas including Lod, Petach Tikvah, Sderot and Beersheva.

The defense establishment announced earlier this year that the Arrow 2 was modified to address new regional threats that the older version of the ballistic missile did not address.

Yisrael Hayom reports the system tested “Is designed to propel ballistic missiles that can carry satellites into space”.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)