Israeli defense company Elbit sells new air defense system to foreign client for first time
One of Israel’s largest defense companies Elbit Systems has, for the first time, sold its new Red Sky air defense system to an international client, presumably an undisclosed country. The two-year agreement is reportedly worth about $48 million.
Red Sky, classified as a tactical air defense system, is designed to intercept short-range and low-altitude threats, such as drones. Elbit will supply two Red Sky batteries to the buyer.
Israel Defense Forces has reportedly partially been using the new system, which addresses the growing threats from UAVs, as displayed by Iran’s recent direct assault on Israel.
Yehuda (Udi) Vered, general manager of the Elbit Systems Land Department, explained the strengths of the new aerial defense system, which can be a used as standalone tool or as one component of a wider framework.
“The Red Sky system represents a state-of-the-art solution that addresses the urgent need to defend borders and secure strategic assets against a wide array of aerial threats at an affordable cost,” said Vered.
“This new defense solution was created based on close collaboration between Elbit Systems’ divisions, utilizing existing Elbit Systems building blocks and integrating them into a comprehensive new solution with new anti-aircraft missiles and advanced soft-kill defense mechanisms.”
“Whether the system is deployed as an independent firing unit or integrated within a regional defense framework, Elbit's Red Sky system offers comprehensive defense with unified command and control.”
Located in Israel's northern coastal city of Haifa, Elbit has seen a growing demand for its sophisticated defense solutions amid the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. In 2023, the company’s revenues grew by 8% and reached $6 billion.
In October, just weeks after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, the Israeli military began using Elbit’s new Iron Sting precision mortar system. The innovative system is designed to target combatants with high precision and avoid harming civilians in densely populated urban areas.
Lt.-Col. Omer Cohen, who commands the elite IDF Maglan combat unit, noted that the new tool is being used as part of the wider counter-terror operations against Hamas in Gaza.
“Thanks to the precision abilities, the lethality and the expertise of the fighters, the Maglan unit - in cooperation with the Air Force - foiled dozens of terrorists with a variety of means, one of which is the precision mortar ‘Iron Sting,’” Cohen said.
Despite the military industry traditionally being male-dominated, female military experts play a crucial role at defense companies in Israel, such as Elbit.
Dr. A, a high-level female military expert at Elbit, played a central role in the development of the Iron Sting. Her name is classified due to the sensitive nature of her work.
“No mortar munition can provide destruction at this level,” Dr. A said. Her female work colleague, ‘L’, explained further how the system works.
“We integrated the mortar firing so that it acts like a missile on the existing systems. Iron Sting must be operated in a calculated manner.”
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The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
