Documents
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 Stronger than 89% 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.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
KBP Instrument Design Bureau Pantsir-S1 
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.
Similar systems
KBP Instrument Design Bureau
Pantsir-S1
Diehl Defence
IRIS-T SLM
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems
Iron Dome
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace