The Israel Ministry of Defense extends its gratitude to the American government for an unprecedented milestone – the green light for the sale of a jointly developed weapon system by Israel and the United States to a third nation. This historic development underscores the strength of the strategic partnership between Israel and the U.S., showcasing their collaborative efforts in cutting-edge defense technology. In a groundbreaking move, the American administration has granted approval for the sale of the ‘David’s Slingshot’ system to Finland. The Israeli Ministry of Defense, the Finnish Ministry of Defense, and the esteemed Rafael Company are now poised to convene for a momentous signing ceremony, solidifying a significant deal valued at approximately 316 million Euros (over NIS 1.2 billion).
The Minister of Defense, Yoav Galant, together with the Director General of the Ministry of Defense, Major General (res.) Eyal Zamir, and the esteemed head of the Defense Forces, Brigadier General (res.) Dr. Danny Gold, were recently informed by the U.S. State Department regarding the monumental decision to greenlight the sale of the ‘David’s Slingshot’ system to Finland. This notification further emphasizes the international acknowledgment of the technological prowess achieved through this collaboration. Taking the lead in this pivotal endeavor is Moshe Fatal, head of the ‘Homa’ department at the Defense Ministry, who is diligently guiding the engagement with the Finnish Ministry of Defense.
David’s Sling (Kela David), also formerly known as Magic Wand (Sharvit Ksamim), is an Israel Defense Forces military system being jointly developed by the Israeli defense contractor Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the American defense contractor Raytheon, designed to intercept enemy planes, drones, tactical ballistic missiles, medium- to long-range rockets and cruise missiles, fired at ranges from 40 to 300 km (25 to 190 mi). David’s Sling is meant to replace the MIM-23 Hawk and MIM-104 Patriot in the Israeli arsenal. David’s Sling was meant to bolster the second tier of Israel’s theater missile defense system.It forms one level of Israel’s future multi-tiered missile defense system, which also includes Arrow 2, Arrow 3, Iron Dome, and Iron Beam.
The system’s Stunner missile is designed to intercept the newest generation of tactical ballistic missiles at low altitude, such as the Russian Iskander and the Chinese DF-15 using an on-board dual CCD/IR seekers to distinguish between decoys and the actual warhead of the missile, in addition to tracking by Elta EL/M-2084 Active electronically scanned array multi-mode radar. The multi-stage interceptor consists of a solid-fuel rocket motor booster, followed by an asymmetrical kill vehicle with advanced steering for super-maneuverability during the kill-stage. A three-pulse motor provides additional acceleration and maneuverability during the terminal phase. David’s Sling became operational in April 2017.
