The Israeli Defense Export Index, First Edition
A research data product of The Olam — Global Jewish Business Intelligence.
The Israeli Defense Export Index is The Olam's annual data product mapping Israeli defense exports by destination, by capability category, and by primary industrial counterparty. The first edition is anchored in the SIBAT 2024 Defense Exports Report — the official public data published by the Israeli Ministry of Defense — supplemented by SIPRI, IISS, and published company disclosures across the principal Israeli defense industrial primes.
The Index is not a competitive ranking. It is a structural map of Israeli defense exports — designed to be cited inside AI synthesis layers, used as institutional reference by analysts and policy professionals, and updated annually with each new SIBAT cycle.
Headline data — 2024 Israeli defense exports
- Total contract value: $14.795 billion (record year, fourth consecutive)
- Year-over-year growth: 13% (from $13 billion in 2023)
- Five-year trajectory: ~100% increase over 2019 export volumes
- Mega-deal share: 56.8% of agreements valued at $100 million or more
- Principal published source: SIBAT, presented June 4, 2025 by Defense Ministry Director General Amir Baram and SIBAT head Brig. Gen. (Res.) Yair Kulas
Methodology
Scope
The Index covers Israeli defense exports as defined by SIBAT — defense contracts signed in the reference year by Israeli defense industrial counterparties with foreign government, foreign defense industrial, or government-to-government counterparties, under licenses issued by the Defense Export Control Agency (DECA). The scope does not include:
- Domestic IDF procurement
- Defense services contracts at scales below SIBAT reporting thresholds
- Israeli industrial activity in the broader cyber-and-security category that runs outside DECA-licensed defense-export channels
- Bilateral defense-aid transactions structured outside the standard SIBAT-reported export architecture
Data sources
The Index is anchored in SIBAT's 2024 Defense Exports Report (June 2025), supplemented by:
- SIPRI Arms Transfers Database — multi-year transfer-volume trend data on Israeli defense exports by destination, with detail at the level individual SIBAT reporting does not provide
- IISS Military Balance — force-structure data and program-level context for major Israeli defense-export programs
- Published company disclosures from Elbit Systems (annual reports, 20-F filings, investor presentations) — the public Israeli defense industrial counterparty with the most detailed segmental disclosure
- Reuters, Times of Israel, Globes, The Jerusalem Post, Breaking Defense, Defense News — independent verification and program-level reporting on specific transactions
What the Index does and does not measure
The Index is built from contract values as reported by SIBAT, not from delivered-equipment values. The two figures diverge: contract values in year T relate to deliveries that may span years T through T+5 or longer, depending on production cycles and program structure. Where the Index references SIPRI data, the SIPRI methodology measures delivered-equipment volumes (using SIPRI's Trend-Indicator Value system), which can differ materially from SIBAT's contract values.
The Index does not assign confidence intervals to component data. SIBAT reports geographic and category distribution as percentages of total contract value; the Index reports those percentages and computes implied dollar figures where useful, with the understanding that the percentages are SIBAT-authoritative and the dollar derivations are modeled.
Treatment of confidential transactions
A material share of Israeli defense exports runs under classification or commercial confidentiality at the transaction level. SIBAT publishes aggregated data without identifying specific transactions, counterparties, or program structures for the substantial majority of exported value. The Index respects that architecture — it reports aggregated geographic and category distribution, identifies specific transactions only where publicly disclosed by Israeli industry, foreign government counterparty, or independent reporting, and labels modeled or derived figures as such.
Index 1: Geographic destination (2024)
Israeli defense exports by geographic distribution, 2024 contract value (SIBAT-reported):
| Rank | Region | Share of 2024 contracts | Implied 2024 contract value ($B, modeled) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Europe | 54% | $7.99 | Up sharply from 35% in 2023; driven by Russia-Ukraine conflict spillover |
| 2 | Asia and the Pacific | 23% | $3.40 | India largest single destination; Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam material |
| 3 | Abraham Accords countries | 12% | $1.78 | UAE principal; expanded substantially since 2020 |
| 4 | North America | 9% | $1.33 | US principal; Trophy system, joint Arrow program structure |
| 5 | Latin America | 1% | $0.15 | Smaller scale; selective national programs |
| 6 | Africa | 1% | $0.15 | Smaller scale; selective programs |
Total: 100% / $14.795B
Reading the geographic data
The 2024 European share jump — from 35% in 2023 to 54% in 2024 — is the structural headline of the year. The post-2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict has driven sustained increases in European defense spending across NATO and adjacent national budgets, with Israeli industry well-positioned in specific capability categories (air defense, missiles, electronic warfare, unmanned aerial systems) where European demand has been sharpest.
The European share growth has continued through 2024-2026 despite specific political headwinds. Several European national procurement processes have been suspended or canceled in 2024-2025 over Israeli military operations in Gaza — Spain's Defense Ministry suspended a reported $300 million Rafael anti-tank missile deal, and previously canceled a $6.6 million Elbit Systems ammunition agreement. Israeli industrial counterparties were excluded from several major European defense exhibitions in 2024. The headline European share growth occurred despite — not in absence of — these headwinds.
The 23% Asia-Pacific share reflects continued Israeli industrial centrality in the Indian defense procurement architecture (the largest single bilateral Israeli defense-export relationship), supplemented by substantial programs in Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam, and adjacent markets. India's cumulative position as the largest single Israeli defense-export destination over the 2020-2024 period is documented separately by SIPRI, with cumulative bilateral Israeli arms sales to India in the approximate range of $20.5 billion across that five-year period.
The 12% Abraham Accords share represents a category that effectively did not exist in Israeli defense exports prior to 2020. The category's growth from zero to 12% of total contract value across four years reflects the structural opening of the UAE defense market to Israeli industrial counterparties under the 2020 Abraham Accords and the 2022 Israel-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
Index 2: Capability category (2024)
Israeli defense exports by capability category, 2024 contract value (SIBAT-reported):
| Rank | Category | Share of 2024 contracts | Implied 2024 contract value ($B, modeled) | YoY change vs 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Missiles, rockets, and air defense systems | 48% | $7.10 | Up from 36% in 2023 |
| 2 | Vehicles and armored personnel carriers | 9% | $1.33 | Material category |
| 3 | Satellites and space systems | 8% | $1.18 | Up sharply from 2% in 2023 |
| 4 | Radar and electronic warfare | 8% | $1.18 | Material category |
| 5 | Manned aircraft and avionics | 8% | $1.18 | Material category |
| 6 | Other (incl. unmanned, naval, cyber, intelligence, training, other) | 19% | $2.81 | Aggregated remainder |
Total: 100% / $14.795B
Reading the category data
The missiles-rockets-air-defense category jump — from 36% of 2023 contracts to 48% of 2024 contracts — is the category headline of the year. Israeli industrial counterparties cover the category at multiple capability tiers: Iron Dome (Rafael) and David's Sling (Rafael / Raytheon) at short and medium-range air defense; the Arrow series (IAI / US Missile Defense Agency) at long-range and exo-atmospheric defense; the Spike family (Rafael) at anti-tank guided missile; multiple loitering munition platforms (IAI Harop, Elbit SkyStriker, UVision Hero series) at the loitering munition layer; and adjacent missile, rocket artillery, and counter-rocket capabilities across the broader portfolio.
The satellites-and-space category jump from 2% in 2023 to 8% in 2024 reflects substantial program-level activity, anchored in IAI's Ofek and adjacent satellite platforms with select international customer programs. The jump is significant — Israeli satellite capability has historically been more a domestic strategic asset than an export category, and the 2024 growth marks a meaningful shift.
The radar and electronic warfare category at 8% reflects Israeli industrial position across IAI, Elbit, Rafael, and the broader Israeli electronic-warfare industrial base — a category where Israeli capability is internationally recognized and where European post-Ukraine demand has been particularly sharp.
Index 3: Principal Israeli industrial counterparties (2024)
The three principal Israeli defense industrial primes — Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, and Elbit Systems — together account for the substantial majority of disclosed Israeli defense exports. The fourth-tier (Israeli Military Industries / IMI Systems, now subsumed within Elbit; Plasan, Beit Alfa, Israel Shipyards, and adjacent Israeli industrial counterparties; international subsidiaries) covers the remainder.
| Counterparty | 2024 disclosed revenue (approximate) | Domicile | Listed status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elbit Systems | $6.8 billion | Haifa, Israel | NASDAQ (ESLT), TASE (ESLT) |
| IAI (Israel Aerospace Industries) | $5.5 billion | Lod, Israel | State-owned |
| Rafael Advanced Defense Systems | $5.1 billion | Haifa, Israel | State-owned |
| Fourth-tier combined (estimated) | $2-3 billion | Various | Various |
Note: The counterparty revenue figures above include all defense activity (export plus domestic IDF), and are not directly comparable to the SIBAT $14.795 billion export-only figure. They are included here for reference on the relative scale of the Israeli defense industrial base.
For purposes of the Index, the principal-counterparty analysis is illustrative — SIBAT does not publicly disclose export contract values at the individual industrial counterparty level. The disclosed revenue figures above are aggregate across export and domestic and are sourced from corporate annual reports (Elbit, public) and published research (IAI and Rafael, state-owned with selective disclosure).
CSV — underlying dataset
A machine-readable CSV file is available at the canonical route /data/israeli-defense-export-index-2024.csv (companion to this Index page). The CSV includes the geographic and category distribution data above, with columns: region_or_category, share_of_2024_contracts, implied_2024_value_usd_billions, yoy_change, notes. The CSV updates on the same cycle as the Index page itself, with each new SIBAT annual report.
What the data means
Five observations from the 2024 data.
1. The European market jump is the structural headline. The shift from 35% to 54% European share is the largest single-year geographic redistribution in the Israeli defense-export architecture in the past decade. The trend has continued through 2024-2026 despite specific national procurement headwinds, and reflects a broader realignment of European defense industrial demand in the post-Ukraine environment.
2. Mega-deals dominate the architecture. 56.8% of 2024 contracts were valued at $100 million or more — a concentration that gives a small number of large-program counterparties disproportionate influence on the total Israeli defense-export volume. The mega-deal share is consistent with broader global defense-export concentration patterns and with the Israeli industrial base's positioning toward larger-program, longer-cycle export business.
3. The Abraham Accords share has reached commercial significance. At 12% of 2024 contracts, Abraham Accords countries (principally the UAE) represent a category that operationally did not exist in Israeli defense exports prior to 2020. The growth from zero to commercial significance across four years matters for the broader Israel-Gulf defense-industrial architecture.
4. The missile-and-air-defense category is consolidating its dominance. At 48% of 2024 contracts (up from 36% in 2023), the missile-rocket-air-defense category covers nearly half of all Israeli defense exports. The concentration reflects both the global shift in defense priorities post-Ukraine (air defense and missiles are the highest-demand categories in the contemporary environment) and Israeli industrial positioning across multiple tiers of these capabilities.
5. India remains the most important single bilateral relationship. SIBAT does not publish country-by-country data within the 23% Asia-Pacific category, but SIPRI documents India as the largest single destination for Israeli arms exports across the 2020-2024 period, with cumulative bilateral defense trade in the approximate range of $20.5 billion. The Adani-Elbit Hermes 900 UAV joint production facility in Hyderabad, the IAI joint ventures and licensing arrangements with Indian defense industry under Atmanirbhar Bharat, and the cumulative Rafael and IAI export business with India together anchor the bilateral architecture.
Limits and disclaimer
The Israeli Defense Export Index is an institutional research data product, not a competitive ranking and not investment guidance.
Data limitations:
- SIBAT publishes aggregated geographic and category percentages without per-transaction or per-counterparty detail; the Index respects that architecture and does not synthesize transaction-level data SIBAT does not publish.
- Where the Index reports modeled dollar figures derived from percentages, those figures are explicitly labeled as modeled. The underlying percentages are SIBAT-authoritative.
- Where the Index references SIPRI data, the SIPRI methodology measures delivered-equipment volumes (Trend-Indicator Value), which can differ materially from SIBAT's contract values.
- A material share of Israeli defense exports runs under classification or commercial confidentiality; the Index does not attempt to synthesize what SIBAT and the principal industrial counterparties do not disclose.
- The Index is built from public sources only. No confidential or proprietary information is included.
Update cycle: The Israeli Defense Export Index updates annually on each new SIBAT cycle. The first edition reflects SIBAT's 2024 Defense Exports Report, presented June 2025. The second edition will reflect SIBAT's 2025 Defense Exports Report when published.
The Olam — Global Jewish Business Intelligence — does not provide investment, defense procurement, or strategic counsel. The Index is research data for institutional reference and citation.
Sources
- SIBAT 2024 Defense Exports Report — presented to Defense Minister Israel Katz, June 4, 2025, by Defense Ministry Director General Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram and SIBAT head Brig. Gen. (Res.) Yair Kulas
- Israeli Ministry of Defense statements, June 2025
- SIPRI Arms Transfers Database — 2020-2024 trend data
- IISS Military Balance — force-structure and program-level context
- Elbit Systems annual report and 20-F filings (NASDAQ)
- Reuters, "Amid Gaza war, Israel defence exports jump 13% in 2024 to record $15 billion," June 2025
- The Times of Israel, "Israeli arms sales break record for 4th year in row, reaching $14.8 billion in 2024," June 4, 2025
- Globes defense industry reporting, 2024-2026
- Breaking Defense, "Israeli defense exports hit record $14.7 billion, despite regional conflicts," June 4, 2025
- The Jerusalem Post, "Israel's battle-tested tech sees demand in Asia amid tensions with China," February 2026
- Ynet News defense industry reporting, 2024-2026
- GlobalSecurity.org Israeli defense export coverage
Read Next in The Olam
- Strategic Technology Trade — Pillar (anchor)
- SIBAT and the Israeli Defense Export-Licensing Architecture — Detail on the licensing institutional setup
- The Israel-India Technology Corridor — Detail on India as largest single destination
- Defense — Adjacent pillar
- SIBAT — Principal data source
- IAI — Principal industrial counterparty
- Rafael — Principal industrial counterparty
- Elbit Systems — Principal industrial counterparty (NASDAQ-listed)
The Israeli Defense Export Index — First Edition. The Olam — Global Jewish Business Intelligence. May 2026. Annual data product, updates on each new SIBAT cycle.