Israel and the United States began developing a new ballistic missile shield, called the Arrow-4.

“The development of Arrow-4 together with our American partners will result in a technological and operational leap forward, preparing us for the future battlefield and evolving threats in the Middle East and beyond,” Defence Minister Benny Gantz said in a statement.

Israel considers Iran’s ballistic missile program a threat to Israel and the world.

The main contractor for Arrow-4 will be Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). Boeing and Elbit Systems are also part of the Arrow defence project.

Designed to eliminate the threat posed by ballistic missile silos, the Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 are already operational as part of a multi-layered system for destroying missiles in and out of the atmosphere.