David’s Sling air defense system is designed to be able to intercept missiles and large rockets within a range of 40 to 300 kilometers and can intercept missiles with a speed of Mach 7.5 at an altitude of 15 km and above. The system is equipped with the EL/M-2084 multifunction radar which is capable of detecting and following targets at distances of up to 250-300 km.
Finland has decided to acquire the David’s Sling long-range air defense manufactured by Israel (Rafael) and the USA (Raytheon). Cost set at at least 316 million euros. With the option of doub…
norskluftvern.com
Specifications of Patriot PAC-3 vs. David's Sling
The first reason lies within the capabilities. The Patriot armed with GEM-T missiles has an engagement range of up to 160 km against aerodynamic targets, while David's Sling boasts an impressive 300 km range for the same category of targets.
For ballistic missile interception, both systems meet the key requirement: supporting the "hit-to-kill" technology. The Patriot for that purpose needs PAC-3 missiles. The PAC-3 MSE modification counters ballistic threats in a 60 km range. As for the David's Sling, this data is kept secret but we do know the minimum range of the two-stage Stunner missile (a.k.a. SkyCeptor): 40 km, thus the maximum interception distance is much farther.
Comparison of sheer price and capabilities already point out the favorite but there's one no less important factor
en.defence-ua.com
This additional Iron Dome/MRIC fielding is complemented by successes by the US/Israeli team in introducing its SkyCeptor interceptors for medium range ground air defence. Using the Mach 7.5 speed Stunner missile the system is able to engage missiles and aerial threats at ranges of 40 to 300 km. SkyCeptor is in service with Israel (called David’s Sling) and recently selected for fielding by Finland.
The RTX - Rafael team formed in 2020 have continued to capitalize on their ground-based air defence collaboration.
www.armadainternational.com
The missile is very fast, operating at hypersonic speeds as high as mach 7.5, and covers long ranges, up to about 175 miles depending on the engagement dynamics. But this is when the Stunnder is configured as a surface-to-air missile, where it uses a large booster to get it to altitude and high speed. An air-to-air version would not have the benefit of an ungainly booster, but it will benefit at launch from an aircraft’s speed and altitude.
Stunner has a three-pulse motor that outputs different thrust levels during different portions of its flight profile. In particular, it provides added acceleration and maneuverability during the missile’s terminal attack phase. The Stunner carries no warhead, instead it is a hit-to-kill system, so the missile can be built more compact and lighter, and more of its internal space can be used for fuel than a traditional anti-air missile that carries a heavy blast fragmentation warhead.
Stunner's small frame, blistering speed, dual mode seeker, high maneuverability and hit-to-kill concept could make it the air combat missile to have.
www.twz.com