Finland’s Ministry of Defense authorized the purchase of the David’s Sling missile system, from the Israeli firm Rafael, as the country’s next long-range, anti-missile air defense system.
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems (Israel) will supply the system. The value of the acquisition, excluding value-added tax, amounts to approximately 316 million euros.
The David’s Sling system will significantly expand the operational range of Finland’s ground-based air defense capabilities. The minimum flight altitude requirement for the system was set at 15,000 meters in the RFQ. This acquisition will create a new capability for the Finnish Defense Forces to intercept high-altitude targets. At the same time, the Israeli system was designed to destroy various types of ballistic threats and is capable of dealing with saturation attacks.
A 500-million-euro deal
The acquisition consists of a prime contract worth approximately 213 million euros (values always considered tax-free), and the immediate exercise of options linked to the prime contract worth 103 million euros. The contract includes other options for a value of EUR 216 million. The possible exercise of these options requires a separate decision.
The procurement contract will include a separate part between the Israeli Ministry of Defense and the Finnish Ministry of Defense to ensure the security of supply of the system. The agreement will ensure the availability of the system’s critical components in all security situations.
Because David’s Sling is a system developed jointly by Israel and the United States (by Rafael and Raytheon, respectively), Finland must also obtain sales authorization from the U.S. government to complete the acquisition.
Finnish industry, together with Rafael and Raytheon, will participate in the integration of the system and in the planning and equipping of the command and control elements.
