Medium-range air defense
The David’s Sling System forms a crucial element of Israel’s multi-tier layered missile defense architecture to provide mid-tier regional missile defense. David’s Sling offers terminal-phase, hit-to-kill defense against tactical ballistic missiles, medium- to long-range rockets, enemy planes, drones and cruise missiles, including Scud missiles.
Shared development
Declared fully operational in 2017, David’s Sling was co-developed by RTX and Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. In addition to partnering on the system’s Stunner interceptor, RTX produces the system’s missile firing units. Teams in nearly 30 states across the U.S. produce the missile and its firing unit.
Stunner missile
David’s Sling comprises the multi-pulse Stunner missile, which uses sophisticated sensors and control systems and an active electronically scanned array, or AESA, multi-mission radar for targeting and guidance. Repeated testing has proven the system’s ability to destroy large torrents of high-caliber rockets and short-range ballistic missiles.
David's Sling's maneuverable, two-stage, hit-to-kill Stunner missile has no warhead; the interceptor destroys threats with sheer force of impact. The Stunner missile is proven to defeat all short-range ballistic missiles – 92 percent of the worldwide theater ballistic missile threat inventory. Stunner is in full-rate production and helps the system to bolster Israel’s defensive capabilities. It ensures safety for Israel’s infrastructure, way of life and its people.
Raytheon, a business of RTX, also teams with Rafael on the Iron Dome Weapon System.
SkyCeptor interceptor
A variant of the Stunner hit-to-kill missile, the highly advanced SkyCeptor® interceptor is developed to defeat short- to medium-range ballistic and cruise missiles and other advanced air defense threats. The SkyCeptor missile costs a fraction of other hit-to-kill interceptors.
The SkyCeptor interceptor could be an ideal land-based missile defense solution for other nations including the United States.