Iron Dome and Iron Beam maker Rafael signs $2.3 billion Spyder air defense deal with Romania
The deal with Romania includes multiple air defense batteries, with deliveries expected to begin within three years.
Rafael and the Romanian Ministry of Defense have signed a framework agreement worth approximately 2 billion euros ($2.3B), including the supply of Spyder air defense systems. The Israeli company develops and manufactures the system, which is designed to provide protection against short- and medium-range aerial threats.
As part of the agreement, Rafael will supply the Romanian army with a large number of air defense batteries, although the company did not specify the exact quantity. The deal includes launchers, interceptor missiles, radar systems, as well as training and logistical support for the forces that will operate the systems. According to Rafael, deliveries to the Romanian army are expected to begin within three years.
The Spyder stem is a mobile air defense platform based on the Python-5 and Derby air-to-air missiles developed by Rafael and adapted for ground-based air defense missions against a wide range of aerial threats, from fighter jets and helicopters to unmanned aerial vehicles and precision-guided munitions. Rafael says the system is designed to effectively protect strategic assets in complex and rapidly changing operational environments.
Romania is one of several countries in Europe and Asia that have acquired the Spyder system in recent years. Previous customers include the Czech Republic, India, Vietnam, and Cyprus.
Romania’s large deal with Rafael adds to a series of agreements signed in recent years between European countries and Israeli defense companies. Israel Aerospace Industries sold Arrow 3 missiles to Germany in two deals totaling nearly $7 billion. Finland previously purchased the David’s Sling air defense system from Rafael for about NIS 1.3 billion. These deals come amid a broader wave of rearmament among European armies following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Although Rafael is the developer and manufacturer of the Iron Dome and David’s Sling defense systems, export deals for those systems require prior approval from the U.S. State Department, due to the significant American funding involved in their development. Prior approval is also required for exports of the Arrow 3 system to Germany. In the case of Spyder, however, the system is based on technology developed in Israel without U.S. funding, making its export process simpler for Rafael.
