The Defense Ministry and Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency completed on Monday has passed the final round of tests for David’s Sling air defense system.
The system has entered the production stage, and Israel Air Force is expected to take possession of the system in the first quarter of 2016.
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David’s Sling is being developed and manufactured jointly by Israel’s state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd, which is developing David’s Sling, together with the US defense company Raytheon, a top U.S. arms maker
David’s Sling range of coverage can destroy incoming threats over enemy territory, away from Israeli skies. It designed to shoot down short to medium-range rockets (ranges of 100 to 200 km / 63 to 125 miles), ballistic missiles, including guided projectiles, cruise missiles, aircraft, and drones.
It will fill the operational gap between Israel’s Iron Dome short-range rocket interceptor and the Arrow ballistic missile interceptor, both already in service.
“In trials, the system’s capabilities were tested in a number of scenarios that simulate the threats it was designed to deal with.” the Defense Ministry said.
“Target missiles were fired, which were detected by a multi-mission radar. The radar transmitted the coordinates to a fire control center, that calculated defense counter-plans. David’s Sling interceptors were successfully fired, and carried out all of the flight stages, destroying the targets as planned, ” the Defense Ministry added.
Yair Ramiti, head of Homa, said multiple mock targets were hit in the trial. The successful trials will “enable us to go to the next stage of development. This weapons system is ripe and ready. The result is excellent. We have an efficient, fast, deadly missile, ” he added.
Shlomo S., head of the David’s Sling program in Rafael, added, “This is first time technology of this kind has been used. It is on the verge of science fiction.” The officials added that a core unit from from the air defense branch of the IAF is being trained to use the system, and took part in the latest trial.
“The emphasis is on guided, maneuvering threats carrying dozens of kilograms of warheads, which are highly destructive, ” Shlomo said.
David’s Sling will be based in two national sites, and its launch sites will be mobile.
The system was described by defense officials on Monday as “new and revolutionary in the family of interceptors in the world, ” enabling greater efficiency in dealing with aerial threats, as part of a multi-layered defense coverage that includes Iron Dome, Arrow 2, and Arrow 3 air defense batteries.
David’s Sling multi-mission radar was developed by ELTA, an IAI subsidiary, and its fire control station, dubbed Golden Almond, was built by Elisra, a part of Elbit Systems.
at the beginning of this month, Israel carried out a successful interception of Arrow-3 missile defense system.
A Sparrow-type target fired from an Israeli fighter aircraft flying off the Mediterranean coast went into space, where it released two targets for Arrow-3’s radars to lock onto. Once outside the atmosphere, the Arrow-3 missile released a kill vehicle, which deployed its own sensor, and guided itself for a direct collision with the target.
