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Source: https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech/article-907334
Israeli Air Defense Dominates as Europe Races to Rearm
(Jerusalem Post) Udi Etzion - The value of Israeli air-defense deals with EU countries has reached $15 billion in less than five years, after European countries found themselves with weakened defense industries and an unpredictable American partner following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In addition to the recent 3.5 billion euro deal with Greece, Germany purchased the Arrow 3 system in 2023 for $3.6 billion. In 2025, Germany approved an additional expansion deal worth $3.1 billion. The Israeli system will serve as the backbone of the European Sky Shield Initiative. In other major deals, Romania purchased short- and medium-range SPYDER systems for $2.3 billion. The Czech Republic and Slovakia purchased SPYDER and Barak MX systems worth $1.2 billion. Finland purchased David's Sling for $345 million, while Cyprus acquired Barak MX systems for hundreds of millions of euros. Israel's defense industries offer decisive advantages: industrial flexibility, with relatively short delivery times and lower prices, and an unprecedented operational record. Successful interceptions by Israel's Arrow, David's Sling and Barak systems against complex missile and drone attacks from Iran demonstrated that these are systems tested under fire in real time. The wave of deals represents a major growth engine, leading to the rapid expansion of production lines in Israel and the creation of thousands of high-quality jobs for engineers and industrial workers. In addition, the high profitability of these export deals is channeling huge sums into research and development, ensuring continued funding for the next generation of defensive layers including laser systems.