UAE revealed as secret buyer in $2.3 billion Israeli Elbit Systems arms deal

The UAE has secretly signed a $2.3 billion arms deal with notorious Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems, the French outlet Intelligence Online revealed earlier this week.

The deal was announced last month by Elbit Systems, but the identity of the buyer was kept secret.

Elbit, whose facilities in the UK and Europe are frequently targeted by pro-Palestinian protesters, manufactures some of Israel’s most advanced military equipment, including unmanned systems and airborne sensors.

According to Intelligence Online, the UAE purchased an advanced version of Elbit’s J-Music aircraft protection systems.

These systems rely on advanced laser technology to disable the sensors of surface-to-air missiles launched at aircraft. They will be manufactured inside the UAE as part of a joint project that has received approval from the Israeli government.

The deal will be implemented over eight years and is considered the second-largest arms deal in Israeli history.

Many details of the deal are still secret due to the sensitivity of the defence technology. Amnesty International and Oxfam have both criticised the deal, saying that it could contribute to harming civilians or violating international law.

The UAE is accused of supporting militias which have committed serious rights abuses across the region, such as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan.

Israeli defence firms have been operating in the UAE since the two countries normalised ties in 2020, in a widely condemnedvagreement known as the Abraham Accords. Elbit Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries both have representative offices in Abu Dhabi.

The UAE has also invested in Third Eye, an Israeli company which develops anti-drone technology.

The Israel-UAE arms deal comes amid continued delays to a planned purchase by the UAE of F-35 fighter jets from the US, amid concerns in Washington that F-35 technology could be leaked to China, due to the UAE’s ties to Beijing.

Israel, however, has been far more willing than the US to sell military technology to the UAE, with Tel Aviv seeking to build alliances and position itself as a key player in the region.

The deal comes soon after a fragile ceasefire was announced in Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, which has isolated the country in the region and the wider world.  

However, there has recently been a boom in Israeli military exports, including the sale of the Arrow-3 system to Germany for $3.5 billion, and Spyder air defence systems to Romania for $2.2 billion.