Europe's interest in David's Sling is surging as it worries about air defense, Israel's missile director says

• Roughly a dozen European nations have shown interest in buying David's Sling over the past year, an Israeli official said.
• Surging interest comes as the continent looks to bolster its air defenses against Russia.
• The Israeli system has seen extensive combat since 2023 and can intercept missiles and warplanes.

European countries are showing growing interest in the Israeli-made David's Sling missile defense system, a senior Israeli official told Business Insider. The continent is racing to bolster its air defenses in preparation for a potential war with Russia.

Roughly a dozen European countries have shown interest in purchasing David's Sling over the past year, Moshe Patel, the director and general manager of the Israeli Missile Defense Organization, said in an interview this week.

Finland is so far the only country to sign a deal for the defensive system; however, Patel, who oversees Israeli air-defense development, said he expects a second European nation to sign a contract "very soon," with more agreements likely to follow. He declined to identify the countries.

Growing interest in David's Sling reflects a broader trend across Europe, where countries are increasingly prioritizing the acquisition of high-end air defense systems and interceptors following the hollowing out of these critical capabilities.

Years of Russian strikes against Ukraine and Iranian missile attacks across the Middle East have been a wake-up call for the continent. Patel has previously identified these developments as driving factors behind European interest in additional air defenses.

David's Sling is a surface-to-air missile system jointly developed by Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the American defense giant Raytheon. It became operational in 2017 and is designed to engage drones, rockets, missiles, and aircraft at ranges of up to 190 miles using a $1 million interceptor called the Stunner.

David's Sling has been used extensively by Israel over the past three years, during which it has fended off missile attacks by Iran and its proxies, including the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Israel has a multi-layered air defense network, and David's Sling is considered the middle tier — above the widely known Iron Dome and below the Arrow system, which can intercept targets in space.

Surging interest in David's Sling followed growing recognition of the system's combat potential, Patel said, adding that Israel has been approached by "a lot of nations, specifically from Europe." Because it was jointly developed with the US, Washington has to approve any potential export, but discussions are underway.

Patel described David's Sing as "the most attractive system in our architecture for marketing," even more so than the Arrow system, which Israel has sold to Germany. He said it is more affordable than other air defenses and notably versatile — it can engage many different threats, while protecting a large area.

A spokesperson for Israel's defense ministry described arms sales as a cornerstone of its strategy, intended to spur the military's force build-up, boost the country's economy, and shape its foreign policy.

"This effort forms an additional pillar of the ministry's strategy to prepare for a demanding decade ahead on the security front," while also preserving the Israeli military's edge, the spokesperson told Business Insider.

European interest in David's Sling comes as the continent explores possible alternatives to American-made air defenses, specifically the MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile system, which Ukraine, the US, and Gulf states have used to counter Russian and Iranian ballistic missiles.

Global stockpiles of Patriot interceptors were already under heavy strain, yet these munitions are in extremely high demand — their worth repeatedly proven in Europe and the Middle East.

David's Sling, often described as a comparable system to the Patriot, could be an alternative for countries that want the American system but are stuck in an order backlog, Patel said.

Switzerland, for instance, ran into delays with Patriot orders due to the war in Ukraine and is now exploring other options — including from Israel — for its air defense needs.

Patriot interceptor production has long struggled to keep pace with rising demand, but the US defense industry has signaled its intent to ramp up production to replenish stockpiles depleted in overseas conflicts.

Israel has been taking lessons from these fights as well. Several rounds of fighting with Iran have convinced the country that it must expedite production lines for its air defenses, including interceptors for David's Sling, Patel said.

Israel, he said, is undertaking "huge efforts in order to be prepared for the future."