CAAT - Israel’s arms suppliers

Aside from its own arms industry, in the past decade Israel has greatly increased its imports of arms. According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), in the five-year period 2020-2024, Israel was the world’s 15th largest importer of major arms, accounting for 1.9% of global imports. In 2009–13 it ranked only 47th. Between 2020-2025, the US accounted for 66% of Israel’s arms imports, comprising a variety of major arms, including combat aircraft, armoured vehicles and guided bombs. Germany accounted for 33% of Israel’s weapons imports over the same period, principally frigates and torpedoes, and Italy accounted for 0.9%. For some exporters, financial data on deliveries and/or licenses is also available, which also covers components, small arms and light weapons, and other equipment are not covered by SIPRI.

Exporters of major conventional weapons to Israel 2020-2024 (from SIPRI Arms Transfers Database):

US exports to Israel

The US is and has always been Israel’s largest military backer. Between 1950 and 2024, the US sold arms and military equipment worth US$ 63.3 billion, according to the Department of Defense historical sales book.

The most recent Department of Defense data shows that US military sales and financing to Israel between 2020-2024 exceeded US$ 12.7 billion, with 2024 witnessing a five-fold increase on the previous year, most likely due to Israel’s post-2023 actions in Gaza.

EU exports to Israel

Between 2019 and 2022, export licenses for arms € 1.3 billion (UK£ 1.1 billion) were applied obtained for EU exports to Israel. Of these, Germany was the biggest exporter, issuing licenses for arms sales to Israel worth € 779 million (UK£ 662 million), followed by Romania with €161 million (UK£ 136 million). See CAAT’s EU arms sales browser for more information.

UK exports to Israel

From Freedom of Information (FoI) requests, we also know of a large number of arms companies that have applied to export arms from the UK to Israel for 2008-2024. In late 2024, there were around 350 active UK export licences for military and dual-use goods to Israel, as detailed in a briefing by CAAT. The total value of “Single Individual Export Licences” (SIELs) for UK arms sales to Israel from 2015 to 2023 was UK£ 492 million. However, these figures cover licences only for the direct export of military equipment to Israel. A significant amount of military equipment ultimately ends up with the Israeli military via indirect means. As the UK is a major supplier of components and subsystems to the US arms industry, and the US is Israel’s largest arms supplier, many arms exports from the UK to Israel go into US-made weapons that are ultimately sold to Israel.

CAAT has published an interactive map of UK arms suppliers to Israel based on FOI data. More detailed information about export applications is also available on our Arms Export Data browsers.

Companies supplying arms to Israel

Some of the most important companies supplying arms to Israel are listed below. While many are US or German companies, many have a significant presence in the UK as well.

Lockheed Martin is the world’s largest arms company, based in the US. Lockheed has supplied Israel with over 100 F-16I combat aircraft, the most important fighter jet in the Israel Air Force, as well as other equipment including the Multiple Launch Rocket System. It describes itself as “proud of the significant role it has fulfilled in the security of the State of Israel”. Lockheed is also the prime contractor for the F-35 combat aircraft, which Israel is buying to replace the F-16s. In 2025, Israel ordered 50 F-35s, of which 36 have been delivered (as of mid-2025), according to local press. A US company, Lockheed Martin also employs 1,700 people at 20 sites in the UK.
Boeing, a US company producing both arms and civil aircraft, is one of Israel’s major arms suppliers. It has provided F-15 combat aircraft, Apache attack helicopters, and thousands of guided bombs. Boeing has 4,000 employees in the UK at 30 locations nationwide, in both civil and military spheres.
BAE Systems, the UK’s largest arms company, is one of Lockheed’s two “principle industrial partners” on the F-35 combat aircraft (the other is Northrop Grumman). F-35 fighter jets are used by the Israel Defense Forces in its Gaza campaign. In 2025, 15% of the value of every F-35 fighter jet was made in the UK, according to the UK Ministry of Defence, with BAE Systems is the biggest UK company in F-35 fighter jet programme. BAE has other arms production relationships with Israel, including producing the Mk 38 Mod 2 Machine Gun System and supplying this to the Israeli military. Other weapons produced by BAE Systems which are reported to be used in Gaza include the M109 Self-Propelled Howitzer (SPH), which Amnesty International has linked to white phosphorus attacks against civiians and various artillery shells and explosives.
ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, a German shipbuilder, has supplied six Dolphin submarines to Israel. A 2016 deal for the sale of 3 more Dolphin submarines has been delayed by a corruption investigation, ongoing as of 2025, involving alleged bribes paid to key influencers in Israel. ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems has several subsidiaries in the UK, most notably Atlas Elektronik UK.
General Dynamics Land Systems produces the Namer armoured vehicle for Israel. The Israeli Ministry of Defense stated that “The Namer is considered to be the most heavily armored carrier in the world, and has proven its capabilities in Operation Protective Edge against myriad threats”. General Dynamics, a US company, has 1,600 employees at 8 plants in the UK.
Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest arms company, has several UK subsidiaries that supply Israel with arms. Elbit Systems Limited UK, with a workforce of over 680, has obtained two UK military export licenses to Israel. Subsidiary UAV Engines Ltd (UEL) produces engine parts and may have produced UK-made R902(W) Wankel engines used in an Israeli Hermes 450 drone that killed British aid workers in Gaza in April 2024, according to analysis by CAAT. Subsidiary Instro Precision Limited produces targetting equipment and technologies, notably the SpectroXR imaging system for Israeli drones. Elbit also produces electronic military communication systems and unmanned aircraft systems, including the Hermes drone.
Leonardo, an Italian arms company, has a UK subsidiary that employs 1,400 staff across 9 sites. Leonardo makes the laser targeting system for the F-35 fighter jets used by Israel at its Edinburgh operation. AgustaWestland, a subsidiary of Leonardo, manufactures a range of components for the Apache attack helicopeters used by Israel.

Other companies with UK connections

Some other UK companies and international companies with UK locations are known to have supplied arms and security equipment to Israel. For more information, including sources and company descriptions, please click on the company names.

Components for F-16 fighter aircraft:

GE Aviation (US headquartered, with locations in the UK):
Produced engines for selected F-16s
MPE (UK headquartered):
Electromagnetic filters manufactured by MPE were used in bomb racks put on F-16s

Components for Merkava tanks:

Ametek (US headquartered, with locations in the UK):
Cooling systems produced by Ametek Airtechnology Group Limited have been used to equip Merkava tanks
Renk AG (German headquartered, with a location in the UK):
Transmission systems manufactured by Renk equip the Merkava 4 tank

Components for Apache attack helicopters:

Meggitt (UK headquartered):
Its air data system found in Apache gunships.
Penny + Giles Controls (UK headquartered):
Its rotary variable transformers have been identified on Apache gunships in Israel.
Redmayne Engineering (UK headquartered):
Its Jesus nut is used to hold the main rotor head of the Apache.
Senior plc (UK headquartered)
Air ducting systems produced by Senior Aerospace BWT have been identified in Israeli Apache gunships.
SPS Aerostructures (UK headquartered):
Engine air intakes produced by SPS Aerostructures were found on Apache gunships.
UTC Aerospace (US headquartered, with locations in the UK): Page Aerospace (UK) has produced light dimming systems used in Israeli Apache gunships.