Jerusalem - The United States recently supplied Israel with a radar system that improves its ability to intercept long-range missiles such as those used by Iran, security officials said on Sunday.
Israel Radio reported the system would be operated by a staff of about 120 US military personnel in Israel's southern Negev desert.
One of the officials, who declined to be identified by name or nationality, said the X-band radar would upgrade Israel's Arrow II ballistic missile shield.
Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak secured the Pentagon's agreement to supply the powerful radar during a visit to Washington in July.
The United States has been leading efforts to curb Iran's atomic ambitions through sanctions, mindful of Israel's threats to resort to military strikes if it deems diplomacy a dead end.
Built by Raytheon, the X-band system has been described by US officials as capable of tracking an object the size of a baseball from about 4 700km away. It would let the Arrow engage an Iranian Shehab-3 ballistic missile about halfway through what would be its 11-minute flight to Israel.
The Israeli military declined to confirm or deny the radar shipment.
The United States and its allies are trying to step up UN sanctions on Iran over its disputed nuclear plans. Iran says it is enriching uranium only for use in electricity generation, but Western powers suspect it is secretly trying to build nuclear weapons. - Reuters