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Israel successfully tests David's Sling anti-missile system

Xinhua, December 21, 2015 Adjust font size:

Israel's Defense Ministry said Monday that a new anti-missile system, developed jointly with the U.S., passed the final round of tests, putting it ready for deployment as soon as next year.

David's Sling air defense system is designed to intercept medium-range rockets, missiles, and drones. It is aimed to fill an operational gap between Iron Dome, which shoots down short-range rockets, and Arrow, which shoots down long-range ballistic missiles, both are already in use.

A series of trails by the Israeli Air Force and the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency was completed Monday morning in southern Israel, the Israeli Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The interceptor is expected to be deployed in the first quarter of 2016, the statement read.

The system was developed by Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Raytheon, a major U.S.-based weapons company.

The announcement came amidst heightened tensions along Israel's northern border. On Sunday night, a barrage of three rockets was fired into Israel from Lebanon, several hours after a top Lebanese militant was killed in Syria in an apparent assassination by Israel. Endit