Rafael Advanced Defense Systems
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| Type | Government-owned corporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Defense, Aerospace |
| Predecessor(s) | Science Corps |
| Founded | 1948 |
| Headquarters | Haifa, Israel |
| Products | Military aerospace Missiles Ordnance Defense electronics Naval Systems |
| Revenue |  $1.851 billion USD (FY 2010) |
| Net income | $170 million USD (FY 2010) |
| Employees | 6,000 |
| Divisions | Missiles and NCW Division Ordnance and Protection Division Manor - Advanced Defense Technologies Division |
| Subsidiaries | RDC (RAFAEL Development Corporation) |
| Website | rafael.co.il |
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. (Hebrew: רפאל - מערכות לחימה מתקדמות בע"מ, formerly: RAFAEL Armament Development Authority), known as RAFAEL or Rafael, (also spelled as Raphael or Rephael; Hebrew acronym of "Authority for the Development of Armaments" - רשות לפיתוח אמצעי לחימה) is an Israeli defense technology company. It was founded as Israel’s National R&D Defense Laboratory for the development of weapons and military technology within the Ministry of Defense; in 2002 its was incorporated as a limited company.[1]
Rafael develops and produces fighting-technologies for the Israel Defense Forces as well for exporting abroad. All current projects are classified.
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[edit] History
Rafael was established in 1948 as the Science Corps (Hebrew: חיל המדע, known by the acronym HEMED, Hebrew: חמד) under the leadership of Shlomo Gur, and was renamed to the Research and Design Directorate (Hebrew: אגף הפיתוח והתיכנון) in 1952. In 1952 David Ben-Gurion decided to split into two the activities of HEMED; the entity HEMED was on charge on the pure scientific research, and the new baptized entity EMET dedicate itself to the development of weapons.[2]
In 1954 Ben-Gurion decided to change the name of the entity EMET for RAFAEL.[3] It was finally reorganized as Rafael in 1958.[4]
In 1995, Yitzhak Rabin asked Amos Horev to become Chairman of the Board of Rafael, following many years in which Horev had served as chairman of Rafael's advisory committee.[5] Horev served as Chairman until January 2001.[5]
[edit] Restructuring as a limited company
During the early 1990 Rafael was operating at a loss (picking in 1995, with a loss of $120 million on a turnover of $460 million), therefore it was decided to restructure the organization and start operating Rafael as a company. Initially creating three discrete divisions; each operating as a profit centre, with a separate balance sheet presented to the newly formed management board.[6]
The restructuring was completed in 2002 when Rafael was formally incorporated as a limited company (although still as a government-owned corporation), while maintaining its technological capabilities through extensive investment in R&D programs (of about 10% of turnover). In its first year as a limited company, Rafael earned a $37 million profit on $830 million in sales.[7]
On October 14, 2007 the company changed its name from Rafael Armament Development Authority Ltd. to Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd.
[edit] Technological achievements
- Shafrir (later renamed Python) - one of the most successful air-to-air missiles ever made (during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the IAF launched 176 Shafrir 2 missiles, destroying 89 enemy aircraft).[8]
- Spike is a fourth generation[9] fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile.
- Popeye is an air-to-ground missile system. Popeye Turbo SLCM is believed to be a nuclear-tipped submarine-launched cruise missile.[10]
- Iron Dome - The world’s first operational air defense system to intercept short-range rockets and artillery shells.[11]
- Trophy - The world’s first operational active protection system, successfully destroyed an anti-tank missile launched from the Gaza Strip toward a Merkava Mark IV tank near Nir Oz.[12]
- Protector USV - The world’s first operational Unmanned surface vehicle (unmanned, autonomous naval combat system).[13]
[edit] Civilian technology transfer
In 1993, Rafael Development Corporation (RDC), a technology transfer company, was established as a joint venture with Elron Electronic Industries; in order to commercialize applications based on defense technologies for medical devices, telecommunications, and semiconductor industries.[14] The company has successfully established and developed several companies including:
- Given Imaging (NASDAQ:GIVN) - a pioneer in the sphere of capsule endoscopy.[15]
- Oramir Semiconductor Equipment - developer of laser cleaning technologies for the semiconductor industry,[16] sold to Applied Materials in 2001 for $21 million.[17]
- Starling Advanced Communications (TASE:STLG) - provider of broadband wireless networking solutions for airliners.[18]
- Galil Medical - a developer of cryotherapy solutions.[19]
- SELA Semiconductor Engineering Laboratories - a provider of automated sample preparation tools for semiconductor manufacturers, sold to Camtek Intelligent Imaging.[19]
- 3DV Systems - developers of the ZCam, a time-of-flight camera products for video applications, sold to Microsoft.[20]
- Medingo - developer of a micro pump insulin delivery system consists of two parts: a semi-disposable insulin dispensing patch and a remote control, which allows for discreet personalised insulin delivery. The company was sold to Hoffmann-La Roche's subsidory Roche Diagnostics for $160 million as well as up to $40 million in milestone payments.[21]
[edit] Products
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[edit] See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Rafael Advanced Defense Systems |
[edit] References
- ^ Dun & Bradstreet: Rafael Company Profile
- ^ The bomb is the basement, page 43
- ^ The bomb is the basement, page 113
- ^ Merdor, Monaya M. (1982). "Science Corps (Hemed)". IDF in Its Corps: Army and Security Encyclopedia. Volume 17. Revivim Publishing. pp. 17–19. (Hebrew)
- ^ a b "Amos Horev". MIT Enterprise Forum. January 1, 2001. http://mit-forum.org.il/about/advisory-board/101-amos-horev. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
- ^ "Rafael Operating as Gov’t Company Since January 1 - Preparatory to Becoming Limited Company". Globes. May 1, 1997. http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=368672.
- ^ "Rafael 2003 net profit: $37m". Globes. March 17, 2004. http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=781005.
- ^ Global Security.org Shafrir
- ^ "Defense Update issue 2-07 (May - June 2007) : Electro-Optically Guided Weapons". Defense-Update.Com. http://defense-update.com/features/du-2-07/helicopters_EO_missiles.htm. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
- ^ http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/israel/missile/popeye-t.htm
- ^ Anshel Pfeffer; Yanir Yagna (7 April 2011). "Iron Dome successfully intercepts Gaza rocket for first time". Haaretz. http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/iron-dome-successfully-intercepts-gaza-rocket-for-first-time-1.354696. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
- ^ HARTMAN, BEN. "Anti-tank missile system stops attack on IDF tank". News Article. Jerusalem Post. http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=210366.
- ^ "Protector". Defence Updates. http://www.defense-update.com/products/p/protector.htm. Retrieved 2007-04-21.
- ^ Rafael Development Corporation Ltd. - Company profile BusinessWeek
- ^ Invest in Israel: Given Imaging
- ^ Fairchild launches Oramir Israel Business Today
- ^ Applied Materials Inc · SEC Filing 10-Q · For 7/29/01
- ^ Starling Advanced Communications: Company Profile - BusinessWeek
- ^ a b "Elron sells entire Galil Medical stake". Globes. 15 March 10. http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000546886&fid=1725.
- ^ Shelah, Shmulik (2009-06-22). "Microsoft confirms 3DV acquisition". Globes. Tel Aviv: Globes Publisher Itonut. Archived from the original on 2009-06-22. http://www.ivc-online.com/ivcWeeklyItem.asp?articleID=9252. Retrieved 2009-06-23. "[Microsoft corporate vice president of Israel Research & Development Moshe Lichtman] said, for the first time officially, that "the R&D center helped Microsoft in buying the intellectual property of 3DV Systems, and in the wake of that dozens of the company's employees were recruited to work at the development center.""
- ^ "Roche Acquires Insulin Pump Company Medingo". Diabetes Daily. 14 Apr 2010. https://www.diabetesdaily.com/forum/diabetes-news/41612-roche-acquires-insulin-pump-company-medingo.
- The bomb in the basement, Michael Karpin, Ed Simon & Schuster ISBN 978-0-7432-6595
