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Although Israel is one of the world's major exporters of military equipment, its military relies heavily on imported aircraft, guided bombs, and missiles to carry out what experts have defined as one of the most intense and destructive airstrikes in recent history. [1]
Israel's defense industry is a strategically important sector, a major employer, and a main supplier of the Israeli Defense Forces. [2] There are more than 150 active defense companies based in Israel with a combined annual revenue of over $3.5 billion. [3]
Since its founding, Israel has received approximately $310 billion (inflation-adjusted) in total economic and military aid from the United States, making it the largest cumulative recipient of US foreign aid. [4]
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report, the United States is the main supplier of armaments to Israel, accounting for 69% of Israel's major conventional arms imports between 2019 and 2023. [5]
The United States provides annually to Israel with about $3.8 billion in military aid annually. Israel has been the largest recipient of US financial support to foreign aid since World War II, receiving a cumulative $158 billion through 2023 at current inflation-adjusted prices.
On 2016, the United States and Israel signed their third 10-year Memorandum of Understanding on military aid by undertaking $38 billion through 2028, including $33 billion in foreign military aid, plus $5 billion for missile defense, as part of a record. Israel used this aid to finance orders for 75 F-35 joint strike fighters, and stealth aircraft, It has used missile defense programs, including the jointly developed Iron Dome, Arrow, and David's Sling systems. the US sends to Israel Iron Dome air-defense missiles, small-diameter bombs, and JDAM kits which convert unguided bombs into GPS-guided weapons, advanced weaponry such as CH-53 heavy-lift helicopters, and KC-46 aerial refueling tankers. [6]
laser-guided missiles for its Apache gunship fleet, as well as 155mm shells, night-vision devices, bunker-buster munitions and new army vehicles. [7] The United States also provides high-level military consultancy to Israel. [8]
According to the SIPRI, Germany is one of the main suppliers of armaments to Israel, accounting for 30% of Israel's arms imports between 2019 and 2023. [5] According to the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development ( BMZ ) report, Germany's defense exports to Israel worth about $353 million have so far increased almost 10 times from last year. the Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reported, that Germany supplies components of air defense systems and communication equipment to Israel. The arms exported included 3,000 portable anti-tank weapons and 500,000 rounds of ammunition for automatic or semi-automatic firearms. Most of the export licenses were granted for land vehicles and technology for the development, assembly, maintenance, and repair of weapons. [9] [1] [10]
According to the SIPRI, Italy is one of Israel's three biggest armaments suppliers along with the US and Germany, accounting for 1% of Israel's arms imports between 2019 and 2023. [5] Citing to Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), despite the government's assurances that they are under a law that bans the sale of arms to countries that are at war or are believed to be violating human rights, the sale of "arms and ammunition" reached $14.8 million last year. Italy's exports include helicopters and naval artillery. [1]
The total value of UK exports to Israel is unclear. In 2022, UK-approved arms export licenses to Israel were worth $52.5 million, but 10 "open" licenses were also issued with an unlimited value, the actual value of the export is unclear. Between the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel and May 31, according to government statistics, Britain issued more than 108 arms export licenses to Israel. [11] The non-profit group Campaign Against Arms Trade has calculated that £574 million worth of arms export licenses have been granted to Israel since 2008, but this figure does not account for the value of open licenses. [12] In December 2023, Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq and the UK-based Global Legal Action Network launched a legal challenge over the UK's role in arms sales to Israel, calling on the UK to stop granting licenses for arms exports to Israel, after their written requests to suspend arms sales after the 7 October attack were ignored. Later, Britain's two premier human rights organizations, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch joined the campaign. Calls for an end to arms sales to Israel heightened after three British citizens were killed in World Central Kitchen aid convoy attack by Israel in central Gaza. [13] According to the Campaign Against Arms Trade, BAE Systems, the largest defense contractor in Europe and the seventh-largest in the world, provides about 15% of the components of the F-35 stealth combat aircraft used by Israel that were used in the recent bombing of Gaza. [14]
Trudeau admitted in late January that Canada had authorized military exports to Israel after the 7 October war. According to Al Jazeera, the Trudeau government approved at least $21 million in new licenses for military exports to Israel in the early months of the war. Some of the products sold include bombs, torpedoes, rockets, other explosive devices and charges, and related equipment and accessories. [15] On 5 March 2023, Human rights and pro-Palestinian advocates in Canada filed a lawsuit against the federal government to block companies from allowing them to export military goods and technology to Israel. [16]
According to Indian news channel TV9 Hindi, The Indian government delivered several Hermes 900 drones known as “killer” to Israel on an unspecified date by Adani-Elbit Advanced Systems India to help "Israel's needs in the Israel–Hamas war". [17] [18] According to the AL Jazeera reports citing leaked European Parliament documents, India exports rockets, and explosives to Israel amid the Israel–Hamas war.Videos of the remains of a missile after Israel bombed the UN shelter in Nuseirat refugee camp, show that some of its components were made in India. On 2 April 2024, Citing marine tracking sites, an Indian cargo vessel named Borkum, left Chennai in south-eastern India and circumnavigated Africa to avoid the Red Sea crisis. On 15 May 2024, The stoppage of the Borkum cargo vessel off the coast of Spain, a short distance from Cartagena, sparked pro-Palestine protests who wanted an inspection of the ship. Also, a group of leftist politicians sent a letter to the Spanish president, Pedro Sánchez, asking to prevent the ship from docking. Before the Spanish authorities could take a stand, the Borkum canceled its planned stop and continued to the Slovenian port of Koper Identification codes identified in documents released by Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the Borcom contained 20 tonnes of rocket engines, 12.5 tonnes of rockets with explosive charges, 1,500kg (3,300 pounds) of explosive substances and 740kg (1,630 pounds) of charges and propellants for cannons. [19] [20]
The Qatar Armed Forces are the military forces of the State of Qatar. Since 2015, Qatar has implemented mandatory military conscription with an average of 2,000 graduates per year. As of 2010, Qatar's defence expenditures added up to a total of $1.913 billion, about 1.5% of the national GDP, according to the SIPRI. Qatar has recently signed defence pacts with the United States in 2002 & 2013, with the United Kingdom in 2020, and with France in 1994.
The Saudi Arabian Armed Forces (SAAF), also known as the Royal Saudi Armed Forces, is part of the military forces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It consists of the Royal Saudi Army, the Royal Saudi Navy, the Royal Saudi Air Force, the Royal Saudi Air Defense, and the Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Force. The King of Saudi Arabia is the commander-in-chief of all the military forces and forms military policy with the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Interior. The five Armed Forces are among eight military forces of Saudi Arabia, with the others including the Royal Saudi National Guard, the Royal Saudi Guard Regiment and the Royal Saudi Border Guards.
A thermobaric weapon, also called an aerosol bomb, or a vacuum bomb, is a type of explosive munition that works by dispersing an aerosol cloud of gas, liquid or powdered explosive. The fuel is usually a single compound, rather than a mixture of multiple substances. Many types of thermobaric weapons can be fitted to hand-held launchers, and can also be launched from airplanes.
The Israel Defense Forces, alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym Tzahal (צה״ל), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and the Israeli Navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security apparatus. The IDF is headed by the Chief of the General Staff, who is subordinate to the Israeli Defense Minister.
The arms industry, also known as the defense industry, military industry, or the arms trade, is a global industry which manufactures and sells weapons and other military technology to a variety of customers, including the armed forces of states and civilian individuals and organizations. Products of the arms industry include weapons, munitions, weapons platforms, communications systems, and other electronics, and related equipment. The arms industry also provides defense-related services, such as logistical and operational support. As a matter of policy, many governments of industrialized countries maintain or support a network of organizations, facilities, and resources to produce weapons and equipment for their military forces. This is often referred to as a defense industrial base. Entities involved in arms production for military purposes vary widely, and include private sector commercial firms, state-owned enterprises and public sector organizations, and scientific and academic institutions. Such entities perform a wide variety of functions, including research and development, engineering, production, and servicing of military material, equipment, and facilities. The weapons they produce are often made, maintained, and stored in arsenals.
The Fajr-3 is an Iranian heavy 240 mm intermediate-range multiple-launch artillery rocket (MLRS). The Fajr-3 is a license-built copy, with slight modifications, of a North Korean MLRS called the M-1985. The Fajr-3 was introduced in the 1990s and has since been exported to Syria, Hamas and Hezbollah.
The Directorate of Ordnance is an authority under the Department of Defence Production (DDP) of Ministry of Defence (MoD), Government of India. Its primary work is to management, give instructions and make coordination of government Ordance production public companies. It is the main regulatory body of Indian Ordnance and its administration civil service, Indian Ordnance Factories Service (IOFS). The DOO(C&S) earlier known as Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), consisting of the Indian Ordnance Factories. In 2021, Government having corporatise the functions of the 41 Indian Ordnance Factories into 7 Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), the Government is merging them again in 2024, as the output of one factory serves as the input of the other.
Military relations between Israel and the United States have been extremely close, reflecting shared security interests in the Middle East. Israel is designated as a major non-NATO ally by the U.S. government. A major purchaser and user of U.S. military equipment, Israel is also involved in the joint development of military technology and it regularly engages in joint military exercises with United States and other forces. The relationship has deepened gradually over time, though, as Alan Dowty puts it, it was "not a simple linear process of growing cooperation, but rather a series of tendentious bargaining situations with different strategic and political components in each."
The arms industry of Russia, also known as the defense industry of Russia is a strategically important sector and a large employer in the Russian Federation. It employs approximately 3.5 million people nationwide and accounts for 20% of all manufacturing jobs in Russia. Total defense spending in Russia reached 7.5% of GDP in 2023.
Iron Dome is an Israeli mobile all-weather air defense system, developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries. The system is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells fired from distances of 4 to 70 kilometres (2–43 mi) away and whose trajectory would take them to an Israeli populated area. From 2011 to 2021, the United States contributed a total of US$1.6 billion to the Iron Dome defense system, with another US$1 billion approved by the US Congress in 2022.
The Centre d'études et de recherches scientifiques (CERS), was a Syrian government agency that has the goal of advancing and coordinating scientific and military research activities in the country. It works on research and development for the economic and social development of Syria, especially the computerization of government agencies. It is considered to have better technical capacity and equipment than the Syrian universities. Jane's Information Group Intelligence Services and other analysts believe it is responsible for research and development of nuclear, biological, chemical and missile technology and weapons, including ballistic missiles, as well as advanced conventional arms.
The defense industry of Israel is a strategically important sector and a large employer, as well as a major supplier of the Israel Defense Forces. The country is a large exporter of military equipment, accounting for 2.1% of the world total in 2024. Three Israeli companies were listed on the 2022 Stockholm International Peace Research Institute index of the world's top 100 arms-producing and military service companies: Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries and RAFAEL. It is also a major player in the global arms market with a 2.3% share of the global exports of major arms as of 2023. Total arms transfer agreements topped $12.9 billion between 2004 and 2011. There are over 150 active defense companies based in the country with combined revenues of more than $3.5 billion annually. Israeli defense equipment exports reached $7 billion in 2012, making it a 20 percent increase from the amount of defense-related exports in 2011. With the Russian invasion of Ukraine, arms exports reached $12.5 billion in 2022. Much of the exports are sold to the United States and Europe. Other major regions that purchase Israeli defense equipment include Southeast Asia and Latin America. India is also major country for Israeli arms exports and has remained Israel's largest arms market in the world.
The defence industrial sector of India is strategically important in India. India has one of the world's largest military forces with a strength of over 1.44 million active personnel. The country has the world's largest volunteer military of over 5.1 million personnel. The total budget sanctioned for the Indian military for the financial year 2021 is ₹4.78 lakh crore. It has the third largest annual defence budget behind USA and China. It is the second largest defence importer behind Saudi Arabia making up 9.2% of global arms imports. India has a domestic defence industry of which 60% is government owned. The public sector includes NTRO, CSIR, PRL, DRDO and its 50 labs, 4 defence shipyards, 12 defence public sector undertakings (PSUs). India has a new defence procurement, acquisition and manufacturing policy to reduce imports and enhance domestic manufacturing.
EDGE Group is an Emirati advanced technology and defence conglomerate comprising 25 companies involved in military and civilian products, and technologies.
The defense industry of Ukraine is a strategically important sector and a large employer in Ukraine. Before the start of the War in Donbas, it was mostly used as part of Ukraine’s arms export market. However, it has leaned significantly towards increased Ukrainian military procurement since then.
Israel has been accused of committing genocide in the Israel–Hamas war, and the United States has been accused of complicity in the Gaza genocide. The complicity accusation has been made in court, by federal staffers, human rights organizations and academic figures around the world. The US has also been accused of enabling the Gaza Strip famine.
Since 7 October 2023, several countries such as Italy, Japan, Spain, Canada, the Netherlands and Belgium have ceased the sale of weapons to Israel. Key U.S. allies such as Britain and France are debating it. However the United States and Germany as the major suppliers of Israel's arms imports keep supplying lethal weapons in spite of growing criticism of the mounting civilian casualties.
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