SkySonic Interceptor to Be Ready Within a Few Years: Rafael

Our Bureau - : Oct 22, 2025 - : 12:48 am

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the company that made Israel’s Iron Dome and David's Sling air shields, is showcasing a new system at the ongoing show, one that will counter growing hypersonic threats.

“We have something that is new. It's called Sky Sonic. It is still not operational. It is something that Rafael developed with its own funds,” Tal Kaduri, Rafael’s marketing manager, told GBP Aerospace & Defence. “The SkySonic interceptor will enable us to intercept all kinds of threats - hypersonic ballistic missiles as well as hypersonic cruise missiles.”

According to Rafael, its SkySonic interceptor marks a major leap in hypersonic defense, designed for exceptional speed and maneuverability to precisely neutralize missiles traveling up to ten times the speed of sound.

At Rafael’s booth, an animated video of the SkySonic system showed an interceptor missile launching vertically from its battery. The footage then depicted the missile’s warhead separating mid-flight and accelerating toward an incoming threat with its own booster.

“This is the best solution against hypersonic threats We are looking for partners here in South Korea or other companies that can work with us. It's basically on a government-to-government level. So, it's not just directly between Rafael and another company,” Kaduri said.

“You can see here three types of threats — ballistic missiles, maneuvering targets, and gliding targets. These are the categories the interceptor is designed to handle,” Kaduri added. “It can be integrated into existing defense systems. It's a very agile interceptor, is cost effective and has capabilities against a variety of threats.”

While the Skysonic interceptor remains in development and has yet to undergo any live testing, it will be out in market in a few years, according to the Israeli state-owned contractor.

“If you already have an air defense system, this will be integrated to it using the current radar. As long as they have the current capability, they can use Skysonic,” Kaduri said.

Russia, India, China, and the United States are currently developing hypersonic missiles capable of flying at speeds exceeding Mach 5 and maneuvering mid-flight to evade detection and interception. Currently, there are two main types of hypersonic weapons — glide vehicles and cruise missiles — both capable of high speed and unpredictable maneuvers that challenge current defense systems.