Israel’s arms exports hit another all-time high

JERUSALEM: Israeli arms exports have reached an all-time high for the fifth consecutive year, hitting more than US$19 billion in 2025 driven by missile, rocket and air defence systems, the defence ministry announced Tuesday.

Israel is among the world’s leading arms exporters.

Its forces have fought on several fronts since Hamas’s Oct 7, 2023 attack triggered the war in Gaza, including against armed group Hezbollah in Lebanon and alongside the US against arch-foe Iran.

“Israel’s all-time defence export record has been broken for the fifth consecutive year, with US$19.2 billion in 2025 — a nearly 30% surge compared to the previous year, more than doubling in five years and quadrupling in a decade,” a defence ministry statement said.

Missile, rocket and air defence systems were the lead exports and accounted for 29% of deals, it said, adding that a “notable surge was recorded in observation and optronics systems”.

European countries purchased 36% of exports, while Asia and the Pacific Region bought 32%, and the Middle East and North Africa 15%.

“There is a clear and unmistakable thread connecting the IDF’s battlefield achievements across all fronts, the extraordinary capabilities of Israel’s defence industries, and the success of Israeli defence exports around the world,” defence minister Israel Katz was quoted as saying in the statement.

In April, the ministry said it planned to accelerate its production of Arrow missile interceptors amid the war with Iran.

The announcement came after questions in the international media over how long Israel’s interceptor stocks would last, with some analysts pointing to shortages of top-tier Arrow interceptors in particular.

المصدر: Free Malaysia Today