Finland to procure Israel's defense system 'David's Sling' with U.S. approval
'David’s Sling,' also known as the 'Magic Wand,' is capable of intercepting rockets and missiles at a range of up to 185 miles
The United States has approved the procurement of the Israeli weapon system “David’s Sling” for Finland, Israel’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday.
“The Israel Defense Ministry expresses its gratitude to the American government for approving the historic sale of the defense system – jointly developed by Israel and the U.S. – to a third country,” the Israeli Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The Ministry added that upon receiving approval from Washington, the defense ministries of Israel and Finland will participate in a signing ceremony to finalize the nearly $346 million agreement. The Israeli defense technology company Rafael Advanced Systems will deliver the weapon system.
"David’s Sling," also known as the "Magic Wand," is capable of intercepting rockets and missiles at a range of up to 185 miles.
Under the procurement agreement, the system will include Israeli-U.S. co-produced interceptors as well as Israeli-produced missile launchers and radar systems. The Finnish version of the system will be jointly developed by Israeli and U.S. industries, and integrated into Finland's command and control systems.
“The approval granted by the U.S. government… marks a significant step towards the realization of a historic agreement between Israel and Finland,” said Israel’s 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,” he continued.
“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.”