On August 4, Israel's Ministry of Defense announced the successful completion of a series of advanced live-fire tests for the “David’s Sling” air and missile defense system. In the last days, US Army teams were brought to Israel to learn and test them.
These tests, led by the Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) under the Directorate of Defense R&D (MAFAT), were carried out in cooperation with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and Rafael, the system’s main contractor.
The trials simulated future threats—including cruise missiles, UAVs, and long-range rockets—to improve the system’s operational readiness.
“David’s Sling” has been in use since 2017 and serves as the middle layer in Israel’s multi-tiered defense architecture, between the short-range “Iron Dome” and long-range “Arrow” systems. The laser-based layer, “Light Beam,” is being tested along with the other systems.