Israel announced on Monday that the David’s Sling weapons system, designed to tackle medium-range rocket and missile threats, is set to be operational within the coming weeks.
“In the next few weeks we will finish a long process of testing a new weapons system that will join the air force,” said Lt.-Col. Kobi Regev, the David’s Sling battalion commander.
Brig. Gen. Tzvika Haimovitch, head of the army’s Aerial Defense Command, suggested that David’s Sling could be deployed as soon as two weeks’ time. He said that the missile system will provide “more capabilities and more effectiveness” for Israel’s missile defense. However, he noted that these systems are never enough, “not hermetic.”
Once operational, David’s Sling will join Iron Dome, Arrow 2, and Arrow 3 as part of Israel’s layered aerial defense system, which has been developed in coordination with the U.S.
The Iron Dome, which was successfully deployed during Operation Protective Edge in 2014, provides protection from short-range weapons while the Arrow system is designed to counter the threat of longer range weapons, such as the Iranian Shihab-3 missiles. David’s Sling will combat medium-range threats.
Brig. Gen. Haimovitch also revealed on Monday that a Syrian anti-aircraft missile, which was intercepted by an Arrow missile last Friday, contained a significant warhead. “The Syrian missile had a 200kg warhead that threatened the security of the State of Israel and its citizens,” he said.
Maariv describes it as “the most dangerous missile since the Gulf War” to be fired at Israel.
The skirmish was one of several incidents in recent days, which have increased tensions on the Israeli-Syrian border.
On Monday, an Israeli unmanned drone was shot down near Quneitra in the Syrian part of the Golan Heights. The Syrian Defense Ministry said that its air defense unit had downed the Skylark vehicle over its territory, but the IDF would not confirm whether it had been shot down or not.
(via BICOM )
[Photo: United States Missile Defense Agency / WikiCommons ]