JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel has signed an agreement with Finland to supply the “David’s Sling” anti-missile system for 317 million euros, the Israeli Defense Ministry announced on Sunday.
The “David’s Sling”, jointly developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the American company Raytheon, is designed to intercept short-range rockets and low-speed cruise missiles. Its missiles can also be used against planes and drones.
This system, used by the Israeli army for around ten years to intercept rockets fired by Hamas from the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah from southern Lebanon, is one of the components of the “Iron Dome” set up by Israel to protect its territory.
Finland, which has just joined NATO after decades of neutrality in reaction to the invasion of Ukraine, intends to strengthen its defense systems in the face of the threat posed by Russia, with which it shares 1,340 km of border earthly.
(Reporting by Steven Scheer, French version Tangi Salaün)
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