The German military will begin tests on Lockheed Martin's Skyshield rocket defense system in Turkey, the daily Jerusalem Post claimed yesterday.The Israeli defense ministry will closely follow the tests, which consists of a high-powered rapid-fire cannon that fires a unique 35-mm AHEAD (Advanced Hit Efficiency And Destruction) shell to destroy incoming targets, the paper said. The projectiles are designed to create a cloud ahead of the incoming rocket and penetrate it, inflicting enough damage to prevent it from striking its target.
Senior officials from the American defense company Lockheed Martin were in Israel last week for talks with defense officials about several ongoing projects, according to the daily. The defense ministry was provided with updates on the tests that Germany will conduct in Turkey, checking the system against mortars, short-range rockets and even Kassam rockets. Lockheed Martin is also testing the system to see if it can intercept Katyusha rockets fired by Hezbullah.
Last month, The Jerusalem Post reported that the Israeli defense ministry was looking at rapid-cannon systems as a possible means to defend individual strategic installations from Kassam rockets and mortar shells fired from the Gaza Strip.
While the Skyshield has yet to prove its effectiveness in intercepting and destroying Kassam rockets, if the tests in Turkey are successful, Israeli defense officials said they will look further into the system's capabilities, reported the daily. It further noted that the tests in Turkey are expected to be completed in the coming weeks according to experts close to the project.
Turkish Daily News, LINK
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