JERUSALEM – Israel recently completed a series of live-fire tests on upgrades to the David’s Sling defense system, the Israeli Defense Ministry announced Monday.
The tests included simulating future threats, enhancing the system’s capabilities and improving its capacity to face the IDF’s various combat arenas.
Trials were carried out by the Israeli Missile Defense Organization in cooperation with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. The Israeli defense company Rafael Advanced Systems served as the primary contractor, with the subcontractor being Raytheon Missile Systems.
Israel mentioned in its announcement that “the tests represent another breakthrough in upgrading the system, which has already demonstrated high operational capabilities during the Iron Swords War and Operation Rising Lion, with successful operational interceptions.”
The tests were performed amid the ongoing Israel-Gaza war and its June military operation in Iran. During that time the Israeli Defense Ministry confirmed the David’s Sling system intercepted ballistic missiles fired from Iran. Rafael also confirmed that David’s Sling deals with tactical ballistic missiles.
The David’s Sling defense system is designed to counter various air threats such as rockets, missiles, cruise missiles, aircraft and UAVs. It constitutes a central defensive layer within Israel’s comprehensive multi-layered air and missile defense architecture, which also includes the Arrow weapon system family, the Iron Dome Defense system and the near-future Iron Beam system.
“Our adversaries continue testing our air defense systems,” said Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram, director general of the Israeli defense ministry, in a release. “So, we must keep upgrading them while fast-tracking breakthrough technologies that will give us a decisive edge and boost our operational capabilities.”
Tzally Greenberg is the Israel correspondent for Defense News. He has experience reporting on economic affairs as well as defense and cyber companies.
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