Rafael will sell its David’s Sling air defence system to Finland, after the U.S. approved the sale. The contract is valued at about EUR 316 million.
Today, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, the Director General of the Israel Ministry of Defence, Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir, and Director of the IMOD Directorate of Defence R&D (DDR&D), Brig. Gen. (res.) Dr. Daniel Gold, were notified by the U.S. Department of State about the administration’s decision to approve Finland’s procurement of the David’s Sling Weapon System. The Director of the Israel Missile Defence Organization (IMDO), Mr. Moshe Patel, led the process together with counterparts from the Finnish Ministry of Defence.
“David’s Sling” is an advanced missile defence system that is co-developed and co-produced by the Israel Ministry of Defence’s IMDO and the U.S. Missile Defence Agency. The industrial team is led by Rafael Advanced Systems. The system intercepts advanced threats, including ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones, and more.
Under the procurement agreement, Israel will sell the David’s Sling Weapon System to Finland, which includes Israeli-U.S. co-produced interceptors and Israeli-produced missile launchers and radar systems. The Finnish version of the system will be jointly developed by Israeli and American industries, led by Rafael Advanced Systems and Raytheon Technologies Corporation, in partnership with Finnish industries, each contributing to specific tasks. The system will be integrated into Finland’s command and control systems.
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said that the approval granted by the U.S. government today for the sale of the David’s Sling, a co-developed system by Israel and the United States, marks a significant step towards the realization of a historic agreement between Israel and Finland. Gallant thanked the Finnish government and the Finnish Minister of Defence, Mr. Antti Häkkänen, for their trust placed in the Israeli defence establishment and industry.
The Director of the Israeli DDR&D, Brig. Gen. (Res.) Dr. Daniel Gold, said that the David’s Sling Weapon System has been operational since 2017 and plays a significant role in the State of Israel’s multi-tiered air and missile defence array. “We take pride in Finland’s choice of the Israeli-American system and are pleased by the United States’ approval to move forward. We are now focusing on finalizing the agreement in the near future.”
