Israel’s military exports rose by 40pc in 2017 totaling $9.2bn

Sibat, the military exports unit of the Defense Ministry, Wednesday reported the third year of expanding military exports – 40 percent in 2017 earning $9.2bn in contracts, and reflecting rising demand in Asia Pacific – 58 percent, followed by Europe with 21 percent, North America with 14 percent, Africa with 5 percent and Latin America at 2 percent. In 2017, Israeli companies exported missiles aerial defense systems (31%), radar systems (17%), avionics (14%), dry ammunition (9%), communications systems (9%), observation and optics (8%), UAVs (2%), marine systems (1%) and satellites and space (1%). India remains Israel’s largest weapons market buying various weapons systems, missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. Israel ranks as the fifth largest arms supplier in the world, following the US, Russia, France and Germany.

Commending this extraordinary achievement, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said: “I have great confidence to the Defense Ministry’s capabilities and creativity. This achievement will enable us to increase research and development budgets, to create new jobs, and mainly to ensure the IDF’s superiority over the years ahead.”