Israel’s defense ministry has announced a significant deal worth $340 million (317 million euros) for the sale of its advanced David’s Sling air defense system to Finland, a new NATO member. Described as a “historic agreement,” the system, developed collaboratively by Israeli and US companies, is designed to intercept ballistic and cruise missiles, aircraft, and drones.
This announcement follows Israel’s signing of a $3.5-billion deal in September, marking the largest-ever agreement for the country’s robust arms sector. The earlier deal involved selling the Arrow 3 hypersonic missile system to Germany, with the long-range system being a joint development between Israeli and US companies. Approval from Washington was a prerequisite for the finalization of the sale.
The context for these deals includes Germany’s leadership in strengthening NATO’s air defenses in Europe, particularly in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the preceding year. Germany has been encouraging NATO allies to collectively invest in deterrence systems. Finland, as a recent NATO member, has swiftly revealed plans to acquire an Israeli defense system capable of countering aircraft, rockets, and missiles.
Analysts predict that the ongoing conflict in Ukraine is likely to further boost the demand for Israeli arms in Europe.