Rafael Advanced Defense Systems David's Sling vs Lockheed Martin THAAD
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems David's Sling and Lockheed Martin THAAD are both air defense system, compared here on public specifications. The Rafael Advanced Defense Systems David's Sling leads on engagement range (300 vs 200 km).
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Full data
Full spec sheet
 Rafael Advanced Defense Systems David's Sling
Wins 2/7 |  Lockheed Martin THAAD
Wins 5/7 | |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ||
| Max speed (Mach) (Mach) | 7.5 Mach | 8.24 Mach ✓ |
| Engagement range (km) | 300 km ✓ | 200 km |
| Engagement altitude (m) | 15,000 m | 150,000 m ✓ |
| Simultaneous targets | 12 | 24 ✓ |
| Sensors & avionics | ||
| Radar range (km) | 300 km | 1,000 km ✓ |
| Program | ||
| Unit cost (USD) | $1,000,000 ✓ | $1,000,000,000 |
| Operator countries | 1 | 5 ✓ |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the longer engagement range? +
The Rafael Advanced Defense Systems David's Sling has the longest engagement range at 300 km.
Which is cheaper? +
The Rafael Advanced Defense Systems David's Sling has the lower public unit-cost figure at 1,000,000 USD. Treat this as directional, defense pricing varies by contract and configuration.
Which has the higher max speed (mach)? +
The Lockheed Martin THAAD has the higher max speed (mach) at 8.24 Mach.
Which has the higher simultaneous targets? +
The Lockheed Martin THAAD has the higher simultaneous targets at 24.
Which has the higher engagement altitude? +
The Lockheed Martin THAAD has the higher engagement altitude at 150,000 m.
Which has the higher radar range? +
The Lockheed Martin THAAD has the higher radar range at 1,000 km.
Is the Rafael Advanced Defense Systems David's Sling better than the Lockheed Martin THAAD? +
On the public specs we track, the Lockheed Martin THAAD leads on 4 of 6 headline metrics, see the full spec sheet for the metric-by-metric breakdown.
Where does this comparison data come from? +
Every figure in the table is sourced from public manufacturer pages, defense-ministry releases and reference publications, and is verifiable on each system's spec page. WeaponSpecs does not accept vendor placement.
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