The Israel Ministry of Defense expressed its gratitude to the American government on Wednesday for approving the historic sale of the David’s Sling defense system, jointly developed by Israel and the US, to Finland.
After receiving approval from the US administration, Israel announced the Israeli Ministry of Defense, the Finnish Ministry of Defense, and Rafael Advanced Systems will participate in a ceremony to sign a procurement agreement worth approximately 316 million Euros.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the Director General of the Israel Ministry of Defense, Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir and Director of the IMOD Directorate of Defense R&D (DDR&D), Brig. Gen. (res.) Dr. Daniel Gold, were notified by the US Department of State about the administration’s decision to approve the sale. Moshe Patel, the Director of the Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) led the process together with counterparts from the Finnish Ministry of Defense.
“David’s Sling” is an advanced missile defense system that is co-developed and co-produced by the Israel Ministry of Defense’s IMDO and the US Missile Defense Agency. The industrial team is led by Rafael Advanced Systems.
The system, which includes Israeli-US co-produced interceptors and Israeli-produced missile launchers and radar systems, intercepts advanced threats including ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones and more.
The Finnish version of the system will be jointly developed by Israeli and American industries, led by Rafael Advanced Systems and Raytheon Technologies Cooperation, in partnership with Finnish industries, each contributing to specific tasks. The system will be integrated into Finland’s command and control systems.
“The approval granted by the US 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 said.
“Thanks to groundbreaking technologies developed by the defense industry’s brightest minds such as David’s Sling, we are able to bolster our ties with countries around the world, strengthen our security, and enhance Israel’s global position.
“I would like to thank the Finnish government and my colleague, the Finnish Minister of Defense Mr. Antti Häkkänen, for their trust placed in the Israeli defense establishment and industry. I’m confident that this agreement will constitute a new milestone in the cooperation between our countries that will improve our response to global and regional threats.”
Gallant expressed gratitude to General Lloyd Austin, the United States Secretary of Defense, and the American administration for their support in the agreement.
Director General of the Israel Ministry of Defense, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Eyal Zamir said that Israel’s defense ministry would “closely cooperate” with the US government throughout the entire process.
“We are hopeful that Finland’s expression of confidence in the Israeli missile defense system, along with the American approval of the sale, will encourage additional European countries to enhance cooperation with Israel’s defense establishment and defense industries,” Zamir added.
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 defense array.
