UAE was secret buyer of billion dollar Israeli defence deal: Report Submitted by MEE staff on Thu, 12/18/2025 - 16:28 The UAE spent $2.3bn in a deal with Israel's Elbit Systems for a new electronic defence system to protect civil and military aircraft An Elbit Systems staff member looks at his phone at the Eurosatory international land and airland defence and security trade fair, in Villepinte, a northern suburb of Paris, on 13 June 2022 (Emmanuel Dunand/AFP) Off The UAE was the undisclosed customer of a massive defence deal with Israel’s Elbit Systems, according to a report by the France-based Intelligence Online . Elbit Systems reported in November that it had sealed a $2.3bn arms deal with an unidentified international customer, to be spread over eight years. "This contract provides important recognition of our unique technological capabilities and significantly enhances our efforts to equip our customers with advanced and relevant solutions,” Elbit Systems president and CEO Bezhalel Machlis said at the time. Intelligence Online reported earlier this week that the deal was for the UAE to purchase a new electronic defence system from Elbit to protect civil and military aircraft. According to the report, the system is likely Elbit’s J-Music aircraft protection system, which utilises advanced laser technology to disable surface-to-air missile sensors launched at aircraft. “The only reason why this isn’t reported more extensively, despite it being a huge story, is because the details are too few," Washington-based defence analyst Bilal Saab wrote on a post in LinkedIn. "Keep an eye on this growing Elbit/Edge collaboration,” Saab added. The UAE-Israel partnership The Intelligence Online article did not mention the Emirati state-owned defence conglomerate Edge, but the company has been actively cutting deals with Israeli defence firms. In November 2021, Edge and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced a partnership to design unmanned vessels capable of anti-submarine warfare. What are the limits of the UAE-Israel partnership? Read More » Edge has not shied away from cutting deals with Israeli firms even amid Israel’s war on Gaza, which has strained ties with other regional Arab states. Earlier this year, Edge agreed to invest $10m to buy a 30 percent stake in Israel’s Thirdeye Systems, a developer of AI-based electro-optical systems to detect drones and unmanned aerial vehicles. The Elbit Systems and UAE deal is notable for several reasons. It underscores how Abu Dhabi stood by Israel amid its attack on Gaza. The United Nations, human rights experts, historians and several Arab leaders, including the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and the president of Egypt, have recognised Israel’s onslaught as a genocide. The UAE established diplomatic ties with Israel in 2022 as part of the Abraham Accords brokered by the US. Arab officials from several countries have told Middle East Eye that the UAE is more supportive of Israeli plans for the Gaza Strip than its Gulf neighbours. “[The UAE] are preparing themselves to be the disruptor of the Arab consensus. That is the main utility of the UAE for the US and Israel,” Abdulaziz Alghashian, a Saudi Arabian analyst, previously told MEE. The deal could also raise interest in Washington among China hawks. Israel, UAE and China ties Many US intelligence and defence officials are wary of the UAE’s growing military ties to China. Earlier this month, the two countries conducted their third air force drill. Israel’s own openness to cutting deals with China has irked some in Washington. How the UAE keeps the US close while hedging against it Read More » Earlier this year, Israel agreed to let China’s Shanghai International Port Group double the capacity of its Bay Port in Haifa. MEE revealed recently that US intelligence assessed the UAE hosted Chinese military personnel at a base in Abu Dhabi. It’s unclear whether members of the People’s Liberation Army are still in the UAE, but US officials and individuals briefed on the matter told MEE, after the publication of that report, that the US was still monitoring Chinese activity at a port facility in the Gulf state, which they suspect could be used for military purposes. In October, The Financial Times reported how, in 2022, the US obtained intelligence that the UAE’s G42 company gave China’s Huawei technology, which the PLA used to extend the range of air-to-air missiles. Inside UAE News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0