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Israel Rafael Advanced Defense Systems
David's Sling
An Israeli medium-to-long-range air-defense system co-developed with Raytheon, filling the gap between Iron Dome and Arrow against medium-range rockets, cruise missiles and aircraft. It uses the two-stage Stunner hit-to-kill interceptor.
In service since 2017 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
300
km range
15,000
m altitude
12
targets
300
km radar
💲 ≈ $1,000,000, Approximate cost per Stunner interceptor, public estimate
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Israeli export-licensed
Israeli MoD (DECA/SIBAT) licensing; active export programme.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 2017. Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$2.5M – $3.5M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost, operating & support dominate over ~25 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Overview
David's Sling occupies the hardest slot in Israel's layered shield, the middle tier, between Iron Dome's rocket work and Arrow's exo-atmospheric intercepts. Developed jointly by Rafael and Raytheon, it exists to kill the threats too fast and too heavy for Iron Dome: long-range rockets, cruise missiles, aircraft and shorter-range ballistic missiles. Its two-stage Stunner interceptor is unusual in carrying no warhead at all, it is a pure hit-to-kill vehicle with a dual electro-optical/radar seeker and extreme terminal agility.
Each battery ties the ELM-2084 MMR radar into up to 16 vertically launched interceptors, with a commonly cited engagement reach around 300 km. First operational in 2017, the system recorded its first combat intercepts in May 2023.
The 2026 Iran war turned David's Sling from a rarely fired asset into a front-line workhorse, engaging medium-range ballistic missiles in the largest missile-defense battle ever fought. Its interceptor economics, a Stunner is commonly estimated near $1 million per round, far below Arrow, made it the layer Israel leaned on hardest as stockpile management became a wartime discipline.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed (Mach)
Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.
- 7.5 Mach Stronger than 76% of air-defense systems
- Engagement range
Maximum distance at which an air-defense system can intercept targets. Higher covers more airspace.
- 300 km Top 9% of air-defense systems
- Engagement altitude
Maximum target altitude the system can reach.
- 15,000 m Stronger than 35% of air-defense systems
- Simultaneous targets
Number of targets the system can engage at once. Higher resists saturation attacks.
- 12 Stronger than 71% of air-defense systems
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- Stunner interceptor missile
- Warhead type
Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable.
- Hit-to-kill kinetic
- Guidance
How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire.
- Hit-to-kill, Active radar / electro-optical homing
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Radar
Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.
- ELM-2084 multi-mission radar
- Radar range
Published detection range against a typical fighter-sized target. Higher sees first.
- 300 km Stronger than 75% of air-defense systems
- Datalink
Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement.
- Golden Almond battle management center
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $1,000,000 Stronger than 88% of air-defense systems
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 19% of air-defense systems
Specifications compiled from public Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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Diehl Defence IRIS-T SLM Frequently asked questions
What is the engagement range of the Rafael Advanced Defense Systems David's Sling? +
The Rafael Advanced Defense Systems David's Sling has a maximum engagement range of 300 km.
What is the main armament of the Rafael Advanced Defense Systems David's Sling? +
The Rafael Advanced Defense Systems David's Sling's primary weapon is the Stunner interceptor missile.
What is the Rafael Advanced Defense Systems David's Sling used for? +
The Rafael Advanced Defense Systems David's Sling is a air defense system typically used for air defense.
How many countries operate the Rafael Advanced Defense Systems David's Sling? +
The Rafael Advanced Defense Systems David's Sling is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the Rafael Advanced Defense Systems David's Sling cost? +
The Rafael Advanced Defense Systems David's Sling has an approximate unit cost of 1,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
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