Finland is one step closer to getting David’s Sling missile shield

MILAN — Finland’s multiyear quest to buy a high-altitude air defense capability is one step closer to materializing after the U.S. State Department approved the export of the U.S.-Israeli David’s Sling system to the Nordic state.

Only a day after it officially joined NATO in April, the Finnish government announced its intention to buy the long-range air defense system, developed jointly by the Israeli Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency.

At the time, Finland and Israel were clear that in order for the procurement to move ahead, the sale was subject to Washington’s approval. Five months later, the green light has been granted, the Israeli MoD said in an Aug. 3 statement.

The Finnish version of the David’s Sling system will be jointly developed by Israeli and American companies, led by Rafael Advanced Systems and Raytheon Technologies in partnership with Finnish vendors, the Israeli statement noted.

The contract is worth approximately $346 million and will make Finland the first export customer for the system.

In 2020, the Nordic state invited the following defense companies to showcase their surface-to-air missile platforms as part of a tender for high-altitude capabilities: Diehl Defence, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, MBDA and Rafael.

Former Finnish Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen announced in March 2022 that the final contenders were the two Israeli firms, Rafael and IAI, before settling on David’s Sling one year later . The selection process had prized systems capable of increasing the operational range of ground-based air defense capabilities and intercept targets at high altitudes, a minimum of 15,000 meters.

According to a U.S. Congressional Research Service report published in 2016, the David’s Sling would be able to counter “long-range rockets and slower-flying cruise missiles fired at range from 40 kilometers (25 miles) to 300 kilometers (180 miles).” It is also said to be able to intercept medium-range ballistic missiles and drones.

The timing for when the system will be delivered to Finland remains unclear.

Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo was a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.

米兰——芬兰多年来一直寻求购买高空防空能力，如今距离实现这一目标又近了一步。此前，美国国务院已批准向这个北欧国家出口美以联合研制的“大卫投石器”系统。

芬兰政府在4月份正式加入北约仅一天后，就宣布打算购买由以色列国防部和美国导弹防御局联合开发的远程防空系统。

当时，芬兰和以色列明确表示，采购要继续进行，必须获得华盛顿的批准。五个月后，以色列国防部在8月3日的一份声明中表示，该军售已获批准。

以色列方面声明指出，芬兰版的“大卫投石器”系统将由以色列和美国公司联合开发，由拉斐尔先进系统公司和雷神技术公司牵头，并与芬兰供应商合作。

该合同价值约 3.46 亿美元，将使芬兰成为该系统的第一个出口客户。

2020 年，这个北欧国家邀请以下国防公司展示其地对空导弹平台，作为高空能力招标的一部分：迪尔防务公司、以色列航空航天工业公司 (IAI)、康斯伯格防务与航空航天公司、MBDA 公司和拉斐尔公司。

芬兰前国防部长安蒂·凯科宁于2022年3月宣布，最终入围竞标的是两家以色列公司——拉斐尔和以色列航空工业公司（IAI），一年后芬兰最终选择了“大卫投石器”系统。此次遴选过程重点关注能够提升地面防空作战能力并拦截高空目标（至少15000米）的系统。

根据美国国会研究服务处2016年发布的一份报告，“戴维投石器”能够拦截“射程在40公里（25英里）至300公里（180英里）之间的远程火箭和低速巡航导弹”。据说它还能拦截中程弹道导弹和无人机。

该系统何时交付芬兰仍不清楚。

伊丽莎白·戈斯林-马洛曾任《防务新闻》欧洲通讯员。她的报道涵盖军事采购和国际安全等广泛领域，尤其擅长航空领域的报道。她常驻意大利米兰。