€150 Million Order for 17 Systems
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is to deliver 17 MMR radars to the Slovak MoD, it was announced on 14 January, as part of an extensive defence export agreement to be signed imminently. The value of the agreement amounts to €150 million.
“As I told the Slovak Minister of Defence during our discussion, Israel’s defence industry is at the forefront of global technology and development and produces excellent operational and military capabilities. This agreement reflects the excellent capabilities of Israel’s defence industry, as well as Israel’s strengthening relations and cooperation with NATO countries,” stated Israeli Defence Minister, Benny Gantz.
The agreement includes the transfer of technology and knowledge from Israel to Slovakia, as well as industrial cooperation. The radar components will be manufactured in collaboration with Slovak defence companies, under the professional guidance of IAI and the Ministry of Defence. The Israeli radar systems will be interoperable with NATO defence mechanisms: similar systems have been incorporated into the C2 systems of other NATO member states in recent years.
The MMR radar, manufactured by IAI/ELTA Systems, is combat-proven and has extensive operational experience in Israel and elsewhere. It detects and classifies airborne threats, calculates their threat level and provides essential data that enables systems to neutralize multiple threats simultaneously.
“The Slovak government’s choice to equip its forces with Israeli radar systems is another significant step in strengthening defence relations between our countries,” commented Brig Gen Yair Kulas, Director of SIBAT, the Israeli MoD’s defence export promotion directorate.
“The MMR leverages state-of-the-art technologies to provide a dependable picture of the air and awareness of the situation at hand. Approximately 130 MMRs have been delivered to the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, and are already operational in the United States and Canada, in addition to Israel. We are confident this is the best radar system to enable the Slovakian Air Force to confront a wide range of aerial threats and we look forward to further cooperation,” added Yoav Turgeman, ELTA Systems’ CEO.
