Israel Developing Own Respirator Manufacturing Capability

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Israel Ministry of Defense’s DDR&D (MAF’AT) and Procurement and Production Directorate have supplied the Ministry of Health 63 additional respirators made in Israel, from a production line that has been extended in just a few days. This is part of the move to establish an independent manufacturing capability with regards to coping with the coronavirus challenge.

The Procurement Directorate and the DDR&D-led National Technological Center for Fight Against the Coronavirus have recruited Rafael, Flight Medical (specializing in advanced respiratory solutions) and Baya Technologies (electronics for defense and medical industries) in order to extend the existing Israeli respirators production line. 63 respiration devices made-in-Israel were already manufactured and supplied to the Ministry of Health, and during the following weeks, some hundreds of new respirators will be manufactured, according to the Ministry of Defense’s announcement.

According to the Minister of Defense, Naftali Bennett, “Israel has been developing an independent capability for coping with the coronavirus, this is one of the foundations of the fight against the virus. We must not be dependent on procuring from other countries.”

Procurement Directorate Head and VP at IMoD, Avi Dadon, said: “The combination of defense industries, advanced technology industry and the medical sphere is a genuine force multiplier, and moreover, it directs procurement budgets towards the Israeli economy, minimizing the need for import.”

Brig. Gen. (res.) Dr. Danny Gold, Head of DDR&D at IMoD said: “Our defense industries have extraordinary capabilities to manufacture any component, and in large quantities, whether it is for weapons or for respirators, thus eliminating the reliance on import. We are working on widening the collaborations and the joint production lines of the defense and healthcare industries.”