Rafael Defense Systems
Three Israeli firms featured in the report’s top 100 listing of the biggest weapons producers on earth.
“Not only do my own parents live under the protection of the Iron Dome,” the Arkansas governor said. “So do 700,000 other Americans.”
The Israeli Air Force will acquire a substantial number of interceptors.
The problems Israel has been forced to solve—detecting low-flying drones in crowded airspace, distinguishing friendly from hostile platforms, and closing the kill chain quickly—are now confronting European governments.
The two allies are negotiating deals for domestic manufacture of LORA theater quasi-ballistic and Ice Breaker cruise missiles.
The Iron Beam high-power laser system can track and destroy rockets, mortars, aircraft, and UAVs at a fraction of the cost of defensive missiles.
Bucharest will buy six units from Rafael amid rising threats from war in neighboring Ukraine.
“Rafael is the incredible company that developed the Iron Dome,” the ambassador noted.
Defense analysts estimated that the selected platform is Rafael’s SPYDER air-defense system, which has been adopted by multiple European nations.
The 287.4-million-euro Spike LR2 deal was set to equip Spanish army and marine corps units.
The system, a smaller version of the Iron Beam system expected to be deployed later this year, intercepted dozens of drones during the war, according to the military.
The world’s first operational high-energy laser interceptor is set to significantly reduce interception costs.