After receiving approval from the U.S. administration, the Israeli Ministry of Defense, the Finnish Ministry of Defence, and Rafael Advanced Systems will participate in a ceremony to sign a procurement agreement worth approximately 316 million Euros.
By Joel Leyden
Israel News Agency / Jewish News Agency
Jerusalem, Israel — August 6, 2023 … On Wednesday, August 2, 2023, Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the Director General of the Israel Ministry of Defense, Israel Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir and Director of the IMOD Directorate of Defense R&D (DDR&D), Israel Brig. Gen. (res.) Dr. Daniel Gold, were notified by the U.S. Department of State about the administration’s decision to approve Finland’s procurement of the David’s Sling Weapon System. The Director of the Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO), Mr. Moshe Patel, led the process together with counterparts from the Finnish Ministry of Defence.
“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 U.S. Missile Defense Agency. The industrial team is led by Rafael Advanced Systems. The system intercepts advanced threats including ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones and more.
Under the procurement agreement, Israel will sell the David’s Sling Weapon System to Finland, which includes Israeli-U.S. co-produced interceptors and Israeli-produced missile launchers and radar systems. 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 U.S. 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,” said Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
“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.”
“I’d like to extend my gratitude to my esteemed colleague, General Lloyd Austin, the United States Secretary of Defense, and the American administration for their support in this important agreement.”
Director General of the Israel Ministry of Defense, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Eyal Zamir: “The Israel Ministry of Defense would like to express its gratitude to the American government for approving the sale of the David’s Sling weapon system to Finland, a system that was jointly developed by Israel and the United States. The Israel Ministry of Defense will closely cooperate with the U.S. 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.”
Director of the DDR&D, Israel Brig. Gen. (Res.) Dr. Daniel Gold: “The 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. We take pride in Finland’s choice of the Israeli-American system and are pleased by the United States’ approval to move forward. We are now focusing on finalizing the agreement in the near future.”
Chairman of RAFAEL, Dr. Yuval Steinitz: “We welcome the American approval for the sale of the “David’s Sling” system to Finland and thank the Israeli Ministry of Defense for promoting and supporting the project. The advanced “David’s Sling” system has drawn great interest in the world due to its unique, advanced capabilities and we are very proud of its development. After already becoming operational in Israel, the system will significantly enhance Finland’s air defense capabilities and we anticipate more agreements in the future.”