Israeli defense technology developer Rafael on Wednesday publicly unveiled its medium-range missile interceptor, the Magic Wand, designed to shoot incoming missiles and rockets out of the sky with its own guided projectile. The Magic Wand is seen as a possible defense against Lebanon-based terrorist group Hezbollah's stockpile of medium-range missiles.

The Rafael showcase, attended by 89 leading companies in the defense industry, was held at the Technion Institute of Technology in Haifa. Magic Wand's first operational test is expected to take place in the coming months.

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Magic Wand is being developed jointly by Rafael and U.S. Defense Technology Developer Raytheon, and is also referred to as David's Sling.

Israel has been hard at work developing three different kinds of interceptors to provide a shield against a multitude of missile threats. Iron Dome, which was designed to shoot down short-range rockets such as the Qassams fired by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, has been hailed as a success and has intercepted more than a dozen rockets fired at population centers in southern Israel over the past year.

Israel's older Arrow 2 anti-ballistic missile provides defenses against larger ballistic missiles, such as Scuds or Iran's long-range Shahab missiles. With the completion of Magic Wand, Israel will be the only country in the world capable of protecting its population centers with an active defense against three different types of missile threats.

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