By Arie Egozi, Autonomy Global – Ambassador for Israel
The Rafael David’s Sling air and missile defense system has completed an advanced series of upgrade tests, validating combat-driven improvements introduced during Israel’s recent war with Iran and Operation Rising Lion.
The Israeli Missile Defense Organization (IMDO), within the Directorate of Defense Research & Development in the Israel Ministry of Defense, led the test campaign in cooperation with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. The series was designed around operational lessons from recent combat and included a wide range of demanding scenarios that simulated existing and emerging threats.
According to defense sources, the upgraded David’s Sling is now more capable of intercepting diverse classes of drones, including systems similar to those Iran employed in the recent war. The system is already designed to counter rockets, missiles, cruise missiles, aircraft and UAVs. The latest enhancements focus on higher-capacity, multi-threat engagements across that spectrum.
Officials said the tests marked a significant technological and operational improvement for Israel’s multi-layered air and missile defense architecture. David’s Sling forms a central layer in this architecture, positioned between the upper-tier Arrow weapon system and the lower-tier Iron Dome and Iron Beam systems, which together are intended to provide continuous coverage from short- to long-range threats. The system demonstrated high operational performance during the war, with successful interceptions credited with saving lives and preventing substantial damage inside Israel.
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems is the primary contractor for David’s Sling, responsible for the interceptor and core system integration. The system’s MMR radar is developed by Elta, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries, while Elbit Systems provides the command-and-control center.
“During the war, and particularly during Operation Rising Lion, IMDO personnel implemented real-time modifications and adaptations that dramatically enhanced the capabilities of the IAF air and missile defense systems, with David’s Sling in particular,” said IMDO Director Moshe Patel. “As part of our planned development programs, we conducted an extensive test series to assess future capabilities and the ability to contend with multiple, diverse threats. The series concluded with complete success, enabling a significant upgrade to the State of Israel’s air and missile defense architecture.”
“Against the backdrop of ever-evolving threats, Rafael is proud to successfully conclude the advanced test series of the David’s Sling system, which incorporated new capabilities across a wide range of challenging scenarios,” added Yoav Tourgeman, CEO of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. “The system undergoes continuous upgrades and adaptations, and the current test series once again demonstrates that David’s Sling is one of the world’s leading air defense systems.”