Rafael Advanced Defense Systems

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd.
Government-owned corporation
Industry Defense, Aerospace
Predecessor Science Corps
Founded 1948 (1948)
Headquarters Haifa, Israel
Products Military aerospace
Missiles
Ordnance
Defense electronics
Naval Systems
Revenue Increase$1.851 billion USD (2010)
Increase$170 million USD (2010)
Number of employees
 7,000
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 it was incorporated as a limited company.[1]

Rafael develops and produces weapons, military, and defense technologies for the Israel Defense Forces and for export abroad. All current projects are classified.

History

Israeli soldier with Spike anti-tank missile launcher
Python-5 (front) and Shafrir 1 (back) missiles
Popeye standoff missile

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. It was renamed the Research and Design Directorate (Hebrew: אגף הפיתוח והתיכנון‎‎) in 1952. In 1952 David Ben-Gurion decided to split into two agencies the activities of HEMED. The pure scientific research was left with HEMED, while the development of weapons was placed in the new EMET agency.[2]

In 1954 Ben-Gurion decided to change the name of EMET to RAFAEL.[3] It was 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]

Restructuring as a limited company

During the early 1990s Rafael was operating at a loss (peaking 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 the new company had 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 an investment of about 10% of turnover in R&D programs. 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.

Technological achievements

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:

Products

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Globes Dun’s 100 - Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd.".
  2. ↑ The bomb is the basement, page 43
  3. ↑ The bomb is the basement, page 113
  4. ↑ Merdor, Monaya M. (1982). "Science Corps (Hemed)". IDF in Its Corps: Army and Security Encyclopedia (in Hebrew). Volume 17. Revivim Publishing. pp. 17–19.
  5. 1 2 "Amos Horev". MIT Enterprise Forum. January 1, 2001. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Rafael Operating as Gov’t Company Since January 1 - Preparatory to Becoming Limited Company". Globes. May 1, 1997.
  7. ↑ "Rafael 2003 net profit: $37m". Globes. March 17, 2004.
  8. ↑ John Pike. "Shafrir". Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  9. ↑ "Defense Update issue 2-07 (May - June 2007) : Electro-Optically Guided Weapons". Defense-Update.Com. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  10. ↑ Popeye Turbo - Israel Special Weapons. Fas.org. Retrieved on 2013-07-17.
  11. ↑ Anshel Pfeffer; Yanir Yagna (7 April 2011). "Iron Dome successfully intercepts Gaza rocket for first time". Haaretz. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  12. ↑ HARTMAN, BEN. "Anti-tank missile system stops attack on IDF tank". News Article. Jerusalem Post.
  13. ↑ "Protector". Defence Updates. Retrieved 2007-04-21.
  14. ↑ "RDC Rafael Development Corporation Ltd.: Private Company Information - Businessweek". Businessweek.com. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  15. ↑ Invest in Israel: Given Imaging
  16. ↑ Fairchild launches Oramir Israel Business Today
  17. ↑ "SEC Info - Applied Materials Inc/DE - ‘10-Q’ for 7/29/01". Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  18. ↑ "List of Public Companies Worldwide, Letter - Businessweek - Businessweek". Businessweek.com. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  19. 1 2 "Elron sells entire Galil Medical stake". Globes. 15 March 10. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. ↑ Shelah, Shmulik (2009-06-22). "Microsoft confirms 3DV acquisition". Globes. Tel Aviv: Globes Publisher Itonut. Archived from the original on 2009-06-22. 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."
  21. ↑ "Roche Acquires Insulin Pump Company Medingo". Diabetes Daily. 14 April 2010.

Coordinates: 32°52′06″N 35°05′35″E / 32.8684°N 35.0931°E / 32.8684; 35.0931

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