Israel’s US-backed missile defense system ‘David’s Sling’ passes advanced tests
Israel’s US-backed missile defense system ‘David’s Sling’ passes advanced tests
Photo Credit: Channel 2 News
The David’s Sling missile defense system, developed in partnership with the United States, has passed advanced tests, the Defense Ministry announced Wednesday, putting it on course for a possible 2016 deployment.
David’s Sling is designed to intercept medium- range rockets and missiles, including many of Hezbollah’s projectiles, as well as hostile aircraft, missiles with longer ranges and cruise missiles. It will thus fill the operational gap between the Iron Dome short-range rocket interceptor and the Arrow ballistic missile interceptor, both already active.
A senior official from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems told The Jerusalem Post in December that the David’s Sling defense system will be able to intercept projectiles beyond Israel’s borders.
“David’s Sling has an interception range which ensures intercept before a threat enters Israeli territory. David’s Sling can intercept any rocket or missiles inside the atmosphere, and over enemy areas,” Ari Sacher, of Rafael’s Air Superiority Systems Division, said.
The system can shoot down incoming warheads irrespective of whether they are conventional or carrying an unconventional warhead, Sacher added.
“Two David’s Sling batteries will cover the whole of Israel,” he said. “It protects Israel against strategic threats, and has the range, the speed and the maneuverability to do so. The air force is preparing to receive this system.”
Unlike Iron Dome, which was developed exclusively by Rafael, the Israeli defense giant is developing David’s Sling jointly with the US defense firm Raytheon.
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“The system will know how to deal with the Lebanese threat,” a source said.
Apr 01, 2015, 05:52PM
The Ministry of Defense explained that the Magic Wand system will be able to deal more effectively with threats from the enemy in the near future. In the test, the system was tested with a number of scenarios that simulate objectives with which the system can cope during a time of conflict.
The success of the test is a significant milestone in the operational capability of Israel to defend itself against anticipated threats in the region. The experiment was led by Rafael in an experimental field in the center of the country. “Today we completed the third series of tests of the system which is the peak of global technology,” said Yair Ramati, head of the Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure. “The excellent outcomes of the test allow us to realize all of our goals. The system will know how to deal with the Lebanese threat.”
In the last experiment before the target missile launch, MMR radar revealed and transferred the data to the center for management of shooting, which calculated the protection against it. The “Magic Wand” interception was successfully launched and carried out all phases of the flight and intercepted the target as planned.
“The process of a series of tests was fully operational and widely deployed,” explained Colonel Fini Youngman, head of air defense at Rafael. “In fact, we simulated threats were launched to shut down an attack on Israel. In the series of tests we examined all system components – from the discovery and identification of the threats of a variety of targets through building plans to launch interceptors for long and short range, high and low.”
The main contractor for the “Magic Wand” system is Rafael in cooperation with Raytheon, an American company. MMR radar was developed by Alta – a subsidiary of the Israeli Air Force. The command and control system “Shaked Zahav” was developed by Elisra from the Elbit Systems group.
The “Magic Wand” system is intended to provide an additional layer of protection against short and medium range missiles and rockets, with an emphasis on precise threats. In addition, the system will increase the extent of interceptions by the “Arrow” system, and will thus deepen Israel’s defense system from the threat of missiles and rockets.
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