US, Israel To Co-develop Sling Missile Shield

Israel will sign a deal with the US next week to jointly manufacture David’s Sling air defense system.

The talks and negotiations are in progress, US Navy vice Admiral James Syring Director of missile defense Agency said. The missile defense System has passed a series of intercept tests in April and is scheduled to be commissioned next year, Reuters reported today.

David's Sling is being developed as well as manufactured jointly by Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Raytheon Company. The US had funded more than three billion for this and various other missile defense projects to Israel since 2001.

Further, a final agreement possibly should reach in several months. “Following the agreement finalization, the Israeli officials would set discussion on co-production of Arrow ballistic missile defense system with the US,” Syring told the strategic forces subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee.

David’s Sling is designed to shoot down rockets with ranges of 100 to 200 km (63 to 125 miles), aircraft or low-flying cruise missiles, filling the operational gap between Israel's Iron Dome short-range rocket interceptor and the Arrow ballistic missile interceptor, both already in service.