David’s Sling set to stun

12 January 2012 -  by Darren Lake – Shepard Group

Raytheon Missile Systems (RMS) announced this week that it had received a contract from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems for the low rate initial production (LRIP) of the Stunner interceptor.

Part of the David’s Sling tactical ballistic missile defence (BMD) system being jointly developed by Israel and the US, the Stunner is an advanced, multi-mission, multi-platform interceptor designed for integration into current and planned air and missile defence systems, according to Raytheon.

‘The punch line to the programme is that it gives you BMD at a tactical missile price,’ Mike Booen, vice president of Advanced Security and Directed Energy Systems for RMS, told Shephard.

‘The Stunner interceptor redefines the performance/cost value equation for terminal missile defence,’ he added. According to the two companies, David’s Sling has been designed to overcome the rate density issue at the low end of BMD with the system mainly effective against the 40-250km missile threat.

This is a major challenge for Israel, which faces threats from a number of directions, and David’s Sling is set to be deployed around the country. However, Booen pointed out that the US and a number of other countries may also be interested in the system either for expeditionary base protection or as part of a national defence system.

The LRIP contract award from the governments was made in the last quarter of 2011 and Rafael will now proceed with deliver of a number of systems to continue the flight trials. This part of the programme is expected to last for the next 18 months.

Raytheon will use its $30.2 million contract to fund the fabrication of the missile’s subsystem hardware including safety devices and guidance electronics.

‘The Stunner program is an excellent example of how Raytheon partners globally,’ Booen concluded. ‘The interceptor will be deployed initially in Israel and will eventually provide a missile defence solution for other allied nations worldwide.’