Tel Aviv: Based on lessons from recent use in the war with Iran, the Rafael David’s Sling has been upgraded
The Israeli Missile Defence Organisation (IMDO) within the Directorate of Defence Research & Development (DDR&D) in the Israel Ministry of Defence (IMOD), together with the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, have successfully completed a series of tests of the David’s Sling advanced air and missile defence system, designed to intercept various threats including rockets, missiles, cruise missiles, aircraft, and UAVs.
According to the Israeli MOD, the test series was built on operational lessons learned from recent combat and included a wide range of challenging scenarios simulating existing and emerging threats. The success of these tests marks another significant technological and operational leap in the system’s upgrade, following its proven track record of high operational performance during the war, including successful interceptions that saved lives and prevented substantial damage.
David’s Sling serves as a central defensive layer in Israel’s multi-layered air and missile defence architecture, alongside the Arrow weapon system, the Iron Dome defence system, and the Iron Beam laser system, which was recently delivered to the Israeli Air Force (IAF). The system’s development is led by the Israel Ministry of Defence, through the IMDO within the DDR&D, in cooperation with the defence industries and the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA).
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems is the primary contractor for the David’s Sling air and missile defence system. The MMR radar is developed by Elta, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), and the command centre is developed by Elbit Systems.
IMDO Director, Moshe Patel, said, “During the war, and particularly during Operation Rising Lion, IMDO personnel implemented real-time modifications and adaptations that dramatically enhanced the capabilities of the IAF air and missile defence systems, with David’s Sling in particular. As part of our planned development programmes, we conducted an extensive test series to assess future capabilities and the ability to contend with multiple, diverse threats. The series concluded with complete success, enabling a significant upgrade to the State of Israel’s air and missile defence architecture.”
CEO of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Yoav Tourgeman, stated, “Against the backdrop of ever-evolving threats, Rafael is proud to successfully conclude the advanced test series of the David’s Sling system, which incorporated new capabilities across a wide range of challenging scenarios. The system undergoes continuous upgrades and adaptations, and the current test series once again demonstrates that David’s Sling is one of the world’s leading air defence systems. I would like to thank the employees of Rafael for their ongoing dedication to the security of the State of Israel, which is especially evident in this project, and to our partners at the IMDO, the US MDA, and the IAF for their role in this success.”
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
