Israel, one of the world’s largest exporters of military technology and expertise, exported $7.2 billion worth of arms in 2019—down from $7.5 billion the previous year due to the coronavirus, according to a Defense Ministry report published on Monday.
Nevertheless, the Jewish state remains one of the top 10 arms exporters in the world, with 17 percent of all sales radar and electronic systems, reported Ynet.
Missiles, rockets and air-defense systems made up 15 percent, and unmanned drone-type aircraft 13 percent, of the total.
Most of the sales (41 percent) went to the Asia Pacific region, with 26 percent to Europe, 25 percent to North America, and 4 percent to Africa and South America.
“We are making sure, as a cornerstone of our activity, that Israel’s sensitive military capabilities will not leak overseas,” said the head of the Defense Exports & Cooperation Division at the Defense Ministry (SIBAT), Brig. Gen. (res.) Yair Kulas, according to the report.
Kulas noted expectations that growth will continue to slow in 2020 because of the coronavirus global pandemic.
