European countries continue to procure Israeli defence systems despite political tensions over Israel’s military operations and calls in parts of Europe for restrictions on defence cooperation. According to Israeli Ministry of Defence sources, demand from several European customers is actually increasing, driven primarily by the war in Ukraine, concerns over Russia and an urgent requirement to replenish depleted inventories. In some cases, the emphasis is also shifting from future local production towards the rapid delivery of operational systems.
European demand for Israeli defence technology remains strong despite growing political friction between Israel and several European governments. According to Israeli Ministry of Defence sources, procurement requirements from some European countries are expanding rather than contracting. “The shopping lists of some European countries are getting longer every month,” one source said towards the author.
The development reflects a widening gap between political debates surrounding Israel and the immediate military requirements confronting European armed forces. While criticism of Israeli military operations has resulted in restrictions or the cancellation of individual programmes in some countries, other European governments continue to acquire Israeli systems considered important for their own defence requirements.
Ukraine War Drives Urgent Requirements
The war in Ukraine remains one of the principal factors behind the trend. European countries have substantially increased defence expenditure while attempting to rebuild inventories and improve capabilities for a potential high-intensity conflict. At the same time, the war has highlighted requirements in areas including integrated air and missile defence, counter-UAS systems and precision missiles. According to the Israeli sources, these are also areas in which European armed forces are increasingly looking for mature systems that can be fielded quickly.
The requirement is not simply for advanced technology. Operational availability and the ability to deliver equipment within comparatively short timelines have become increasingly important considerations. This is particularly relevant in capability areas where suitable European alternatives are either unavailable in the required timeframe or cannot currently be supplied in sufficient quantities, according to the sources.
Air and Missile Defence Remains a Key Market
Air and missile defence has emerged as one of the most prominent areas of Israeli-European defence cooperation. Germany’s procurement of the Israeli-US Arrow 3 missile defence system represents the most visible example. The acquisition made Germany the first foreign operator of the system and established a long-term industrial and military relationship around strategic ballistic missile defence.
Other major agreements with European countries, including Greece and Finland, have contributed to the growing importance of Europe for the Israeli defence industry.
According to the Israeli sources, demand is particularly strong for systems addressing threats that have become increasingly prominent during recent conflicts: ballistic and cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and increasingly complex aerial attacks involving combinations of different weapons.
These requirements have helped drive Israeli defence exports to record levels.
Political Tensions Have Not Disappeared
The continuing procurement activity does not mean that political tensions surrounding defence cooperation with Israel have disappeared. Some European governments have introduced restrictions affecting Israeli defence companies or individual procurement programmes. According to the information provided, Spain and Italy are among the countries that have implemented selective measures, cancelled specific contracts or imposed restrictions on Israeli participation. At the European level, Israel’s military operations have also generated calls from some governments for sanctions or a reduction in economic and political cooperation.
Defence procurement decisions, however, remain primarily national responsibilities. This creates situations in which political criticism of Israel can coexist with continued military cooperation where governments consider particular Israeli systems important for national security.
The result is an increasingly complex European market rather than a uniform policy towards Israeli defence companies.
From European Production to Immediate Delivery
One of the more significant developments concerns the way some European customers are approaching future acquisitions. Local production has become an increasingly important element of major European defence procurements. Israeli companies have consequently discussed partnerships, technology transfer and European manufacturing arrangements for a number of systems.
According to the Israeli Ministry of Defence source, however, urgency is beginning to change the priorities of some potential customers. Several countries that previously discussed establishing local production are now asking instead for the rapid delivery of ready-to-use systems.
Such a shift would represent an important change in procurement priorities. Establishing domestic production can provide industrial benefits and greater sovereignty over supply chains, but creating new manufacturing capacity takes time. Direct procurement of existing production systems can offer a considerably faster route to operational capability.
For armed forces attempting to close capability gaps while simultaneously rebuilding inventories, speed of delivery may therefore temporarily outweigh the longer-term benefits of localisation.
Operational Availability Increasingly Decisive
The trend also illustrates a broader consequence of the war in Ukraine for European procurement. For many years, major defence programmes could be structured around lengthy development and acquisition cycles. The deterioration of the European security environment has increased pressure on governments to field capabilities considerably faster.
Israeli defence companies potentially benefit from this shift because many of the systems now attracting European interest are already developed and available for production. The Israeli sources argue that operational experience is another factor behind European interest. Customers are increasingly looking not only at technical specifications but also at whether systems have already been employed under demanding operational conditions.
Political relations between Israel and individual European countries are therefore likely to continue influencing procurement decisions. However, according to the Israeli Ministry of Defence sources, they have so far not reversed the broader demand for Israeli defence technology.
Instead, the immediate requirement to strengthen European armed forces is creating a more pragmatic procurement environment in parts of the continent. In some cases, the question is apparently no longer whether a system should eventually be manufactured locally, but how quickly an operational capability can be delivered.
Author: Arie Egozi, Israel Correspondent
