Iron Dome being navalised

RAFAEL is extending the Iron Dome Counter-Rocket, Artillery and Mortar defense system to the maritime domain, to protect surface vessels from a wide range of threats, including ballistic trajectory and direct attack weapons. The navalized system is dubbed ‘C-Dome’
defense-update

South Korea interested in Iron Dome

South Korea is interested in buying the Iron Dome anti-missile system, its manufacturer, Rafael , said yesterday.
Iron Dome, which uses guided missiles to shoot down the Katyusha-style short-range rockets favored by Palestinian and Lebanese guerrillas, has scored around a 90% success rate in the month-old Gaza war.
According Rafael CEO the system’s performance had fuelled foreign interest in it, including by South Korea, which is in an armed standoff with North Korea.
“[South Korea] is very worried not only about rockets, but other things as well".
Rafael has not made public any foreign sales so far, giving priority to supplying Iron Domes to Israel, which has fielded nine out of a planned total of 12 interceptor units.
Washington has extensively funded the Israeli deployment and supplies of interceptor missiles.
haaretz

Israel Readies First US Co-Production Order for Iron Dome

Israel fielded its seventh Iron Dome intercepting battery under fire last week in an operational debut that destroyed five Gaza-launched rockets headed for Tel Aviv.
The July 10 interception over Tel Aviv by Israel’s Iron Dome battery averted strategic tailwind for Hamas, which claimed credit for the attack that could have triggered a full-scale Israeli invasion of Gaza.
That critical interception and 100 others scored by Iron Dome since the July 7 start of Operation Protective Edge highlights the “strategic significance” of active defenses in Israel’s battle against more than 10,000 Gaza-based rockets threatening nearly three quarters of the country.
As of press time on July 11, no Israelis had been killed in more than 400 Gaza-launched rocket attacks. In contrast, Israeli air, land and sea-based strikes against more than 1,100 targets throughout the strip killed nearly 100 uninvolved Palestinians, most of them women and children.
As Rafael works on the eighth battery in parallel to fast-tracked production of intercepting missiles, it is preparing to receive the first Defense Ministry procurement contract for US-based builds in support of Iron Dome.
The firm recently finalized an agreement making Raytheon its US partner in co-production of major components for the Iron Dome’s Tamir intercepting missile.
The US firm will supply components through various subcontractors.
US investment in Iron Dome was nearly $900 million.
defensenews

India, Israel to Build Anti-Missile System

India and Israel will jointly build an integrated anti-missile system to be deployed against Chinese nuclear and conventional missiles.
The new program,has been approved by the Indian Defence Ministry, with a contract expected to be signed in the next six months.
The proposed missile defense program will see participation by Rafael and Israel Aircraft Industries.
The system will integrate the homegrown Prithvi air defense system, which is ready for induction next year, with the mobile detection radar being built by BEL in partnership with IAI.
defensenews

Rafael advances missile evaluation for Israeli F-35s

Rafael has completed an initial evaluation of the requirements for a sixth-generation air-to-air missile that will be carried by the Israeli air force's Lockheed Martin F-35s.
Rafael has been looking into the design of a so-called sixth-generation weapon for some years, with one requirement being for the design to be carried within the internal weapons bay of the F-35.
An Israeli-made air-to-air missile will form part of a package of nationally-developed systems that the Israeli air force wants to have on its future fleet of stealth fighters.
So far, Israel will be able to install its own radio and datalink systems in the first 20 F-35s it will acquire.
flightglobal

Israel plans laser interceptor 'Iron Beam' for short-range rockets

Israel plans to deploy a new missile shield known as "Iron Beam" next year which would use a laser to blow up short-range rockets and mortar bombs.
The system is designed to deal with threats that fly on too small a trajectory to be engaged efficiently by Iron Dome, the Israeli interceptor credited with an 80 percent success rate against rockets fired by Palestinian militants.
Both shields are manufactured by state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. While Iron Dome launches radar-guided interceptor rockets, Iron Beam's laser will super-heat the warheads of shells with ranges of up to 7 km (4.5 miles).
Iron Dome is complemented by Arrow II, an Israeli interceptor designed to shoot down ballistic missiles at atmospheric heights. Israel plans to integrate them with the more powerful rocket interceptors Arrow III and David's Sling, both of which are still in their testing phases.
The United States has extensively underwritten the projects, seeing them as a means of reassuring its Middle East ally as instability rocks the region.
reuters

US-Israel David's Sling Aces 2nd Intercept Test

The US-Israel David’s Sling Weapon System (DSWS) scored a “major milestone” Wednesday with a successful intercept of a short-range ballistic missile target at a test range in southern Israel.
Wednesday’s intercept marks the second test success since the beginning of the year, and aims to ready the system for initial deployment in 2014.
Jointly funded by the US and Israel, David’s Sling is designed to defend against long-range rockets and short-range missiles. Later block versions will extend performance to defend against cruise missiles and other air-breathing targets.
Developed by Israel’s state-owned Rafael Ltd. in conjunction with its US partner Raytheon Co., DSWS will provide an additional layer to Israel’s multi-layer active defense intercepting network. When deployed, it will serve as a bridge between the operationally proven lower-tier Iron Dome and the operational Arrow-2 and planned Upper Tier Arrow-3.
Supporting the DSWS is the Multi-Mission Radar by Elta, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries, and the Golden Almond battle management and control system developed by Elisra-Elbit Systems.
defensenews

Rafael eyes Litening adaptation for stealth aircraft

Rafael is considering adapting its Litening targeting pod for use on platforms like the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which require such equipment and weapons to be carried internally to maintain their stealth performance.
The Israeli company will not elaborate on the effort, but says it is an "expected evolution" for the proven Litening design, more than 1,400 of which have been sold by it and its US partner Northrop Grumman.
flightglobal

Israel to field lightweight Spice 250 bombs

The Israeli air force is equipping its fighter fleet with Rafael's new Spice 250 glide bomb.
Rafael is supplying a complete system, weighing 113kg.
the Spice 250 can be loaded with 100 optional targets in a given area, with scene-matching algorithms. As with previous Spice products, the weapon navigates to a target area using INS/GPS guidance, before its electro-optical/imaging infrared sensor is engaged.

flightglobal

Israel doubts on Iron Dome success: rate could be 5-10% only

A leading US expert on missile defence has raised doubts about the efficacy of Israel's Iron Dome defence system.
Israeli officials say it hit some 84% of the targets engaged in last year's conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
But Professor Theodore Postol of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology suggests the defence system's success rate may have been "drastically lower".
The success of the Iron Dome was one of the most significant military aspects of Israel's brief campaign.
During this upsurge in fighting - dubbed Operation Pillar of Defence by the Israeli military - Israeli aircraft, drones and artillery bombarded Palestinian targets, while Palestinian groups fired over 1,400 rockets into Israel.
The Iron Dome missile defence system - built by the Israeli company, Rafael, but largely funded by the US - was rushed into service to defend against the Palestinian missile threat.

bbc

LCA Tejas Sports Python & Derby

India's LCA Tejas twin-seat trainer mock-up on display at Aero India 2013 for the first time shows it alongside a Rafael Python-5 IR short-range air-to-air missile and a Rafael Derby BVRAAM. The latter is a stopgap in the event that the Astra isn't delivered on time, and also for testing requirements. Also on the mockup are the R-73 and the Astra.

Shiv Aroor-livefist

Rafael Works 24/7 To Meet Demand for Iron Dome Missiles

Israel’s Rafael initiated emergency, round-the-clock operations last week to meet intensifying demand for Iron Dome intercepting missiles and the accelerated deployment of a fifth battery to defend against Gaza-launched rockets and missiles.

defensenews

New Israeli anti-missile system gets ready

While Israeli forces battle a growing Palestinian missile onslaught from the Gaza Strip, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems is getting ready to field test its newest anti-missile weapon.

spacewar

Israel strengthens Iron Dome missile shield

Rafael and the Israeli air force have successfully tested an upgraded version of the former's Iron Dome interceptor, which is designed to shoot down incoming rockets from increased range

flightglobal