Jerusalem ( CNN ) -- Israel declared a Friday test of its Arrow weapon system a `` major milestone '' in the development of a system to defend against medium range missiles that could be fired from countries like Iran . In a statement the Israeli Defense Ministry said the test `` provides confidence in operational Israeli capabilities to defeat the developing ballistic missile threat . '' The successful test of the joint American and Israeli weapon system was held over the Mediterranean Sea Friday morning and sought to track a simulated incoming ballistic missile via radar and pass the information back to what is known as the battle management controller . The Defense Ministry described the test as a `` target-only tracking exercise , '' meaning the missile was not intercepted . The ministry said the test demonstrated that the Arrow Weapon System and the U.S . Ballistic Missile Defense System could successfully work together in what it termed `` interoperability . '' U.S. Missile Defense Agency personnel participated in the test , the ministry said . The missile defense test comes amid fevered speculation that Israel may soon launch a unilateral attack against Iran 's nuclear program , though Israeli defense officials said the timing of Friday 's exercise were planned a year in advance and was not connected to recent events . Both countries were supposed to hold a massive joint missile defense exercise in April , but the drills were postponed until the second half of the year with both sides citing technical reasons . Israel and the United States have been jointly developing the multi-billion dollar Arrow missile defense system since 1986 . The goal of the project is to provide Israel with a defense for medium range missiles fired toward it from the region .
Israel declares test a `` major milestone '' in development of anti-missile system . Arrow could protect Israel from medium range missiles fired from countries like Iran . The U.S. participated in the test described as `` target-only tracking ''