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Israeli Air Force begins receiving new aerial protection system

Xinhua, March 2, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Israeli Air Force began receiving and installing parts of the David's Sling missile defense system, the Israeli Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

The Israeli Defense Ministry started transferring components of the aerial protection system after it had been examined several times by Israeli and U.S. missile agencies and deemed operational in late December 2015.

"After a series of trials we have conducted the David's Sling aerial defense system... we began delivering major components of the system to the Israeli Air Force," the Defense Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

The remaining parts of the system will be provided to the Israeli Air Force in the upcoming weeks, and will "allow Israel to more effectively defend against the wide range of current and future threats," according to the ministry.

The system is made out of radar and control, interception and command systems, and it is aimed at intercepting medium-range rockets and drones.

The system was developed by Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and a U.S. contractor called Raytheon.

Other systems deployed by the Israeli army as measures of defense from missile fire include the Iron Dome anti-missile system, capable of intercepting short to medium range missiles, and the arrow 1, 2 and 3 interceptor missiles.

As the Iron Dome batteries are stationed to answer the threat of rocket attacks emanating from the Gaza Strip enclave, other systems are designated to handle rocket attacks from Lebanon's Hezbollah, and from Iran's proxies in Syria. Endit