Last year, an Arrow successfully intercepted a target configured to fly like Iran's new Shihab-3 nuclear-capable ballistic missile.

Turkey has shown recent interest in the Israel Aircraft Industries design and Israeli sources believe this could force Washington to change its policy on the export of the system, Flight International.com said. However, Israel needs U.S. approval to export the design, which has been developed using massive assistance from Washington, it said.

Boeing, which manufactures Arrow missile subsystems, has begun an unofficial check of the U.S. administration's stand on its export.

"We have U.S. partners in the production of the Arrow. We think that they are the ones that should get answers from the (U.S.) administration," an Israeli defense official told FlightInternational.com.

Ankara will also evaluate the U.S.-produced Patriot PAC-3 and the Russian-made S-300 air defense systems, but Turkish sources have repeatedly indicated their preference for the Arrow system.

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