Rafael Advanced Defense Systems welcomes new MD for Australia

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems (RAFAEL) announced that it has named Golan Ben Giat as Managing Director of Rafael Defence Australia, to steer RAFAEL’s expansion plans for Australia and New Zealand. This includes RAFAEL’s work with the ADF’s critical Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) enterprise, which will modernise the ADF’s defence capabilities through their SPIKE LR2 anti-tank guided missile (ATGM).

A highly accomplished and credentialed strategic executive within the global defence industry, Ben Giat joins RAFAEL’s Australian business following three years as Director of Business Development, Marketing and Strategy at RAFAEL’s Land and Naval Division. A long-time advocate and champion of Australia, and the tremendous potential of its defence and advanced manufacturing industries, Ben Giat will be responsible for overseeing the Australian and New Zealand markets for the Land & Naval, Air Defence & Air Systems domains, as well as Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR).

Ben Giat will also prioritise the work of Varley Rafael Australia (VRA), a joint venture between Australia’s oldest defence enterpriseThe Varley Group and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. VRA was established in 2018 to deliver Advanced Defence Solutions, engineered, integrated, manufactured, supported and sustained in Australia by Australians. Based in the NSW Hunter region, the venture not only cements RAFAEL’s 30 year history of delivering GWEO for the ADF, but is furthermore working towards at least 70 new Australian jobs through the development and delivery of cutting edge Australian produced sovereign capabilities, including the SPIKE LR2 Anti-Tank Guided Missile.

Prior to joining RAFAEL, Ben Giat served as General Manager of NIP Nikuv International Projects Ltd, Regional Director of Sales and Marketing at Netline Israel Defence Industries, and General Manager for BSi – Blue Sky International (Asia). Mr Ben Giat has extensive experience with government agencies, leading military forces and private organisations, as well as negotiating a range of significant weapons and capabilities agreements across Asia, the Middle East, and the European Union.

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