Diplomacy

David's Sling Joint U.S.-Israel
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U.S., Israel Say Jointly-Developed David’s Sling Anti-Missile System Passed Test

by TheTower.org Staff |

A test of the David’s Sling anti-missile system succeeded in averting simulated threats, The Times of Israel reported Tuesday.

The system, which is designed to intercept medium-range missile threats, successfully countered a series of threats, according to Israel’s defense ministry.

A statement from the ministry said that David’s Sling successfully defended against a simulation of “future threats that the system may face in a confrontation.”

The simulated threats were not identified.

A statement released by the United States Missile Defense Agency (MDA), which conducted the test along with Israel’s Missile Defense Organization (IMDO), said that the David’s Sling system “successfully” completed a series of tests. David’s Sling was described as “a missile defense system that is a central part of lsrael’s multilayer antimissile array.”

It was the sixth test of the system.

According to the statement, engineers are reviewing data from the tests, which will be used “for ongoing development and fielding of the David’s Sling Weapon System.”

“The David’s Sling Weapon System project is a cooperative effort between the United States and Israel to develop a defense against large caliber rockets and short-range ballistic missiles,” the MDA statement concluded.

In July, David’s Sling was activated when two ballistic missiles were fired from Syria into Israel, but it did not successfully intercept them.

Israel possesses a multi-tiered air defense system to counter varied threats, including defending itself against short-range, mid-range, and long-range missiles that can be fired from Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, and even Iran. Among the components of Israel’s air-defense system are Iron Dome, David’s Sling, Arrow-2, and Arrow-3.

Earlier this month, Israel deployed the advanced U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) for joint training. The goal of the deployment, the IDF said, was to “practice rapid deployment across the globe of complex systems, and to enhance cooperation with the IAF’s Air Defense Systems.”

The THAAD deployment would also give the IDF the chance to work in “cooperation with US forces in order to enhance coordination between the two militaries and to strengthen the ability to defend Israeli airspace.”

[Photo: i24NEWS / YouTube ]

 

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