Kenya is to pay Israel Sh4 billion for the Spider Defence System, a high-tech missile defence system. A Sh1 billion loan from Israel and Sh3 billion from the Treasury provide the funding.
Kenya plans to purchase a high-tech missile defense system from Israel to combat security threats in the Gulf of Aden posed by Houthi rebels and Somalia’s Al-Shabaab.
Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Ltd., an Israeli company, will sell the system, known as Spyder.
The Kenya Defence Force is demonstrating the strengthening of ties between the two nations by borrowing Sh1 billion to purchase modern air missile defence systems from Israel.
Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Ltd., an Israeli state-owned enterprise, will supply the Spyder Air Defence System. The business recently declared that its technology can thwart ballistic missiles.
With increasing security concerns in the Gulf of Aden from Houthi rebels and Al-Shabaab in Somalia, Kenya is purchasing the Spyder missile defence system from Israel with a Sh1 billion loan from Tel Aviv.
According to the Treasury’s financial records presented in Parliament, the Spyder Air Defence System would be purchased through a loan from Israeli business Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Ltd. for a price that has not been disclosed.
The Treasury budget documents given to parliament on Tuesday said, “Procurement of quantity one (1) Reinforced Battery of Medium Range Surface to Air Missile System—Spyder Air Defence System,” forecasting new loans for the 2024–25 financial year beginning on July 1 of this year.
Aeroplanes, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, and precision-guided weapons are the targets of the low-level, quick-reaction Spyder surface-to-air missile system.
It offers defence against a range of threats, including short-range ballistic missiles, aircraft, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at various ranges. The system uses the Rafael Derby and Python missile families to intercept threats.
Spyder’s open architecture makes it simple to mix and integrate external components, enabling a variety of configurations with varying ranges and capabilities based on the needs and priorities of the customer.
Its autonomous capabilities, which include all-weather, multi-launch, and net-centric characteristics, enable it to detect threats while in motion and enable a 360° launch within seconds of deeming a target hostile.