The Defense Ministry said Wednesday it has completed a series of tests of the David’s Sling air defense system, as nuclear negotiations continue between Iran and the United States and concerns persist over possible military escalation that could include attacks on Israel.
The ministry said the tests were developed based on operational lessons learned during the war and included “a range of challenging scenarios” reflecting existing and emerging threats.
Israel completes advanced tests of David’s Sling air defense system amid Iran tensions | Watch
(Video: Defense Ministry)
David’s Sling is designed to intercept a variety of threats, including rockets, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, aircraft and drones. It serves as a central layer in Israel’s multilayered air defense array, alongside the Arrow system, Iron Dome and the recently delivered Iron Beam laser system, which has been handed over to the Air Force.
The tests were led by the Defense Ministry’s Missile Defense Organization in cooperation with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency and defense contractor Rafael. The ministry said the successful completion of the trials marks another technological and operational advancement in upgrading the system, which it said demonstrated strong performance during the war with successful interceptions that saved lives and prevented significant damage.
Rafael is the lead developer of David’s Sling. Israel Aerospace Industries, through its Elta division, developed the system’s MMR radar, while Elbit Systems developed the command-and-control system.
Moshe Patel, head of the Missile Defense Organization, said that during the war — particularly during Operation Rising Lion — the team made real-time adjustments that significantly enhanced the capabilities of the Air Force’s air defense systems, especially David’s Sling.
“As part of our development plans, we conducted an extensive series of tests that examined future capabilities and the ability to deal with multiple and diverse threats,” Patel said. “The series concluded with full success and enables a significant upgrade to Israel’s air defense array.”
Rafael CEO Yoav Tourgeman said the company was proud to complete the advanced test series amid evolving threats. He said the trials incorporated new capabilities across a wide range of challenging scenarios and demonstrated that David’s Sling remains “one of the best air defense systems in the world.”
Tourgeman thanked Rafael employees and partners in the Defense Ministry, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency and the Air Force for their role in the successful tests.