May 9, 2007

The long rumored Israeli Jericho 3 ballistic missile is apparently in
production. For over two years, there were reports that this new missile
was close to entering service. With a range of nearly 5,000 kilometers,
the Jericho 3 can drop a nuke anywhere in the Middle East. The Jericho 3
is apparently a variant of the Shavit satellite launcher. The Jericho is
probably a 30 ton, solid fuel, three stage missile, with a half ton
payload. Israel is believed to have 50-100 of the shorter range Jericho
2. This is a 26 ton missile with a max range of about 1,500 kilometers.
The Jericho 2 was the basis for the Shavit satellite launcher, which has
put several satellites in orbit since 1995.