Israel sharpens air defenses with David’s Sling upgrade as Iran tensions mount
Defense Ministry says successful test series implements lessons from the 12-Day War, aiming to counter larger and more complex missile barrages.
Against the backdrop of growing fears of another war with Iran, the Islamic Republic’s military posturing, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, the Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday the completion of “a series of complex tests” for Rafael’s David’s Sling air defense system. The tests were conducted in light of lessons learned from the 12-Day War with Iran in June 2025.
The Defense Ministry said the test series was designed on the basis of operational lessons from the ongoing conflict, and that its success represents “another technological and operational leap in upgrading the system, which demonstrated high performance during the war with successful interceptions that saved human lives and prevented heavy damage.”
According to Moshe Fattal, head of the Wall Directorate at the Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDR&D), the program constituted a broad set of trials examining future capabilities in preparation for the air defense system’s confrontation with a wide range of threats. “The series was completed with full success and enables a significant upgrade to Israel’s air defense array,” he said.
Fattal added that changes and adjustments made to David’s Sling over the past two and a half years, including during the 12-Day War, “have dramatically improved air defense capabilities.” Rafael CEO Yoav Turgeman said the trials tested “new capabilities in a wide range of challenging scenarios.”
During the 12-Day War, Iran launched approximately 550 ballistic missiles at Israel. According to data previously released by the Defense Ministry, the interception rate stood at about 85%. Missiles that evaded defense systems struck numerous cities and sites across the country, killing 30 people and causing extensive destruction.
David’s Sling forms a key component of Israel’s multi-layered defense architecture, which also includes the Iron Dome, the Iron Beam laser system, and the Arrow missile family. The primary response to long-range ballistic missiles is provided by Israel Aerospace Industries’ Arrow 3 system, which is capable of intercepting threats while still in space. During the conflict with Iran, the United States deployed two THAAD defense batteries in Israel, which took part in countering the Iranian barrages.
