SIBAT

SIBAT — the Israel Ministry of Defense International Defense Cooperation Directorate — is the principal Israeli government entity coordinating defense exports and international defense cooperation. SIBAT licenses all Israeli defense exports under the Defense Export Control Law (2007) and coordinates between Israeli defense contractors and international government customers.

Per SIBAT annual reports, total Israeli defense exports reached approximately $14.8 billion in 2024 — a record. Abraham Accords destinations grew from 3% of total exports in 2023 to 12% in 2024, one of the most consequential structural shifts in the Israeli defense-export geography since the formation of the Accords.

SIBAT's institutional mandate spans export licensing under the Defense Export Control Law; defense-export market support and bilateral coordination with international customer governments; sectoral promotion of Israeli defense industry capabilities at major international defense exhibitions; and coordination of Israeli participation in major international defense procurements. The institutional architecture includes coordination with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Israel Security Agency, and the broader Israeli national-security apparatus on sensitive export-licensing decisions.

Major Israeli defense contractors operating in the SIBAT-supervised export channel include Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Israel Weapon Industries, and the broader Israeli defense industry.

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