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Israel among top 5 defense exporters
Defense Ministry announces its sales reached just over USD 4.4 billion in 2006; 'India biggest customer,' it says
The Israeli Defense Ministry announced on December 31 that its sales reached just over USD 4.4 billion in 2006, placing it among the top five exporters, just behind the United States and England.
"India was Israel's biggest customer with purchases reaching USD 1.5 billion," Maj Gen. Yossi Ben-Hanan, head of SIBAT, the Foreign Defense Assistance and Defense Export Department at the Defense Ministry told media.
The biggest sale to India was the Barak naval anti-missile system USD 450 million, produced by Israeli Aircraft Industries.
Israeli sales to the United States amounted to USD 1 billion, compared to USD 300 million in 1999.
European countries accounted for USD 800 million in contracts.
Over three-quarters of the total sales were to foreign countries and the remaining was purchased by the Israel Defense Forces.
"This is a great achievement," Ben-Hanan said. "The world has put its faith in our industries through deals it has signed with Israeli companies."
The general said intense marketing by the companies involved and logistical support by his department were behind the success.
Reprinted by permission of the Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute
