The US subsidiary of Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has been granted facility clearance by America’s Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency.
The clearance allows the subsidiary — Rafael Systems Global Sustainment (RSGS) — to work on confidential programs without collaborating with US firms.
RSGS is currently the sole US-based arm of the Israeli defense firm to receive the clearance. The process to gain the clearance began in April 2020 but was delayed due to COVID-19.
“It now gives Rafael, as a foreign company, via their American subsidiary, a means to work classified programs within Rafael without having to rely on a joint venture or some other partnership or business agreement,” President and CEO of Rafael Systems Global Sustainment Joseph Anderson told Defense News.
Rafael-US Defense Partnerships
With the clearance, the firm can expand its operations within the US.
Rafael technologies include air defense, AI, radars, sensors, missiles, communications, and network capabilities. The company has developed counter-unmanned aircraft systems, artificial intelligence, machine learning, situational awareness, air defense, and other critical combat technologies.
Rafael has provided critical defense capabilities to the US, including Spike missiles for Apache helicopters, Iron Dome batteries, and Trophy Active Protection Systems for its Abrams tanks.
The defense firm is also working on future technologies such as AI-enabled combat vehicle suite technology, sensor-to-shooter integration software, and advanced communication technologies.
The company has collaborated with American defense companies for 28 years. In 2020, the company announced a partnership with US-based Raytheon to develop and manufacture the Iron Dome weapon system.