In Accordance with the Directive of the Minister of Defense, Naftali Bennett: The Ministry of Defense, IAI and Invoytec will Begin the Serial Production of Israeli-developed Ventilators
March 31, 2020 - Minister of Defense, Naftali Bennett: “The State of Israel must develop independent capabilities in everything related to dealing with the COVID-19 virus pandemic. We cannot remain dependent on procurement from other countries. We must develop independent, advanced capabilities.”
The Directorate of Production and Procurement (DOPP), and the Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D), at the Israel Ministry of Defense, in collaboration with medical company, Inovytec, and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), have completed the establishment of a first-of-its-kind production line for Ventway Sparrow ventilators. As a result, the first 30 ventilators have already been delivered to the Ministry of Health.
Due to the lack ventilators in Israel (and around the world), Raanana-based Inovytec, which specializes in the production of emergency medical systems, together with IAI, established a production line for ventilators in accordance with the requirements of the DOPP in the Ministry of Defense, and the Ministry of Health.
In this special operation led by the DDR&D, a production line for Ventway Sparrow ventilation systems was set up within days. This morning, the production line was inaugurated in the classified missile production department of IAI, after which dozens of ventilators were tested and assembled.
The Ventway Sparrow is a state-of-the-art, turbine-powered, lightweight, easy-to-use ventilator that enables effective invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilation for both adults and children. The ventilator has been tested for compliance with the most stringent medical standards and is currently used in hospitals and emergency medical centers in Israel and around the world. It provides life-sustaining respiratory care for patients in various conditions, including patients diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus.
IAI has allocated its brightest minds, and a special area in its missile production line, for the purpose of producing ventilators. The production line has been built to expand the production of Ventway Sparrow machines in a short time frame. The company's missile and aerospace engineers have committed to the mission and are engaged in the required assessments for serial production of the ventilator.
All the parties involved are facing challenges in the international chain of supply, and dealing with record demand and difficulty in purchasing components. As a result, all of the relevant bodies in the State of Israel have joined forces in order to achieve what is needed for the production of these crucial ventilators.
Deputy Director General and Head of the Directorate of Production and Procurement (DOPP), at the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMoD), Avi Dadon: Once we were assigned the task of acquiring and producing a maximum number of ventilators in a short period of time, we saw the immediate mobilization of the local industry. A high-tech medical company, working with the excellent defense industry, and the Ministry of Defense, has been able to deliver an advanced production line that already issued dozens of advanced ventilators - within just a few days. We are at the beginning of the road and in the coming weeks, we will accelerate production rates even further."
Director of the DDR&D in IMoD, Brig. Gen. (Res.), Dr. Dani Gold: "Turning a missile production line into a ventilator assembly plant is a very complex task, made possible by the collaboration between the Ministry of Defense and the defense industry. We are continuing in the race around the clock to translate the extraordinary tech capabilities of the defense establishment, to the fight against corona.”
Inovytec CEO, Udi Kantor: “The collaboration with IAI and with the Ministry of Defense is amazing at this time and it allows us to multiply our production capabilities and supply ventilators in the shortest possible time frame. We are operating in a challenging time, and in a global ‘war’ to acquire the necessary components and fulfill our mission.”
General Manager and Executive VP of IAI Systems, Missiles & Space Group, Boaz Levy: "IAI and the Ministry of Defense, are proud to join Inovytec to manufacture ‘blue-and-white’ [locally-produced] ventilators for the State of Israel. We are an industry that develops some of the world’s most advance defense systems for the benefit of the State of Israel and our clients worldwide, and have been tasked with manufacturing medical systems - a field which we have only recently started to discover. The best minds in the field of missiles, aviation and space joined Inovytec, under the auspices of the Ministries of Defense and Health, and together we have established – in just a few days - an advanced production line for ventilators. We take pride in the ability to produce fast, unique and innovative solutions that meet current needs.”
Inovytec specializes in developing and marketing innovative solutions in emergency medicine. The company's products are used in Israel and around the world, for both civilian and military purposes.
The production line was established in the IAI production headquarters which have been used to produce some of the most advanced defense systems, including the Arrow 2 and 3 weapon systems, advanced satellite systems such as observation satellites, satellite launchers and the Beresheet spacecraft. IAI is a national and global hub for radar, satellite, aviation and cyber technology.
