Israel and Czech Republic near multibillion-shekel Rafael air defense deal
The agreement would see Rafael supply four additional Spyder All-in-One systems as Prague moves to strengthen its air defenses amid growing concerns over Russia.
Amid growing fears of further escalation by Russia and the war in Europe, Israel and the Czech Republic are nearing a major deal centered on Rafael’s Spyder air defense system.
The emerging deal is valued at several billion shekels. Under its terms, Rafael will supply the Czech military with four Spyder All-in-One systems, each comprising a radar, launcher, Python and Derby interceptor missiles, and a command-and-control system, all integrated into a single vehicle. The compact configuration enables rapid deployment against missile, UAV and aircraft attacks at ranges of several dozen kilometers.
Negotiations are being led by representatives of Israel’s Ministry of Defense and the Czech Ministry of Defence, as the agreement is being structured as a government-to-government (G2G) deal.
In a previous deal, signed in 2021 under a similar framework, the Czech Republic acquired four Rafael Spyder systems for approximately €600 million. Some of those systems have already been delivered to the Czech Republic following modifications by Rafael to meet the military’s specific requirements and NATO standards.
Against the backdrop of growing concerns over Russia’s actions, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said on Saturday: “The security of our citizens is our top priority. The Czech Republic, like the rest of Europe, needs protection against ballistic missiles.”
Babiš made the remarks during NATO Days, a defense exhibition in Ostrava, where the Czech military showcased one of the Spyder batteries to a crowd of tens of thousands of visitors, including Rafael Chairman Yuval Steinitz.
According to Rafael, the Spyder program with the Czech Republic is “evolving into a comprehensive, integrated national air defense capability, spanning short to long ranges, with significant potential for further expansion.”
Beyond the Czech Republic, Rafael’s Spyder system is used by militaries in a double-digit number of countries worldwide. In June, the company signed a €2 billion deal to supply the defense system to Romania.
The Czech deal comes as European countries are increasingly looking to strengthen their air defense capabilities. About three weeks ago, Israel’s Ministry of Defense and the Greek Ministry of National Defence signed the “Achilles Shield” deal, under which Rafael and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will establish a multi-layered air defense network for Greece.
The Greek system will combine IAI’s Barak MX missiles and radars with Rafael’s David’s Sling and Spyder defense systems. Rafael will also develop a command-and-control system to manage the various components as an integrated system. The deal is valued at approximately €3 billion, making it one of the largest export agreements in the history of Israel’s defense industry, second only to IAI’s Arrow-3 deal with Germany.
The interceptors used by the Spyder system, Python and Derby, as well as related components, were developed by Rafael, allowing the company to facilitate their global sales. This differs from Iron Dome and David’s Sling, whose development was co-funded by the U.S. government, meaning American approval is required for their export. In the case of David’s Sling, the U.S. has authorized sales to Finland and Greece.
According to Ministry of Defense data, Europe accounted for 35% of Israel’s total defense exports in 2025, a year in which Israeli defense exports reached a record high of more than $19 billion.
