Israel is reported to have successfully tested an advanced surface-to-air missile to play a crucial role in securing the country’s offshore gas fields and to extend its aerial defense, according to The Guardian.

The missiles are scheduled to be operational in about two years and serve as a counter-force against Russian-made Yakhont missiles that Hezbollah is alleged to possess, an Israeli military official said anonymously.

The country’s plan for natural gas has been met with opposition by the Environmental Protection Minister, Avi Gabbay, who spoke about “the critical connection between protecting the environment and the use of gas and reducing air pollution,” yet is expected to tone down his objections at the upcoming Knesset’s Economics Committee meeting early December, the Jerusalem Post reported.

The Knesset’s Economics Committee has been holding a series of meetings dealing with Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to invoke Article 52 of the Antitrust Law, that allows for overruling an antitrust commissioner’s opposition to any issues of national security.