Operation Shield and Arrow Israel successfully uses David’s Sling anti-missile system in battle for first time against Gaza rockets

The Israeli-developed David’s Sling missile defense system was used for the first time in battle against Gaza rockets, the Israeli army confirmed on Wednesday. The advanced mid-range missile defense system succeeded in intercepting an incoming Gaza rocket that was fired toward the metropolitan Tel Aviv region.

The partly American-funded missile defense system is expensive, as each interceptor reportedly costs one million dollars. The system was initially known under the name Magic Wand and officially became operational six years ago.

However, in 2018, the missile defense system failed to intercept incoming rockets from Syria.

By contrast, David’s Sling was successful on Wednesday against an incoming rocket from the Gaza Strip.

Gaza-based terrorists have so far fired more than 470 rockets into Israel during the current round of fighting. As in the past, the Egyptian government is actively mediating a ceasefire between the Jewish state and the Gaza terrorist organizations.

In early April, the new NATO member Finland announced that it is acquiring the Israeli missile-defense system in an effort to boost its defense capabilities against Russia.

“The David’s Sling system will extend the operational range of Finland’s ground-based air defense capabilities significantly,” read the official Finnish statement.

Finland’s Defense Minister Anti Kaikkonen stressed the importance of the Israeli missile defense system for the Finnish military.

“This acquisition will create a new capability for the Finnish Defence Forces to intercept targets at high altitude," stated Kaikkonen.