With the onset of the full-scale war in Ukraine, Israel unexpectedly strengthened its position in the global arms market for many. Against the backdrop of revising defense doctrines, increasing military budgets, and searching for “proven solutions,” this country quickly became a key reference point for states facing new threats.
The picture seems contradictory only at first glance.
A Paradox That Is Not Accidental
Israel has lived under constant threat for decades. For it, war is not an abstract theory but an environment where technologies, tactics, and security approaches are formed. That is why the events in Ukraine did not become a catastrophe for the Israeli military-industrial complex but a factor accelerating already launched processes.
When European countries and Ukraine’s allies faced the reality of a protracted conflict, it suddenly became clear that old arsenals, paper concepts, and “peaceful planning” no longer worked. Systems tested not on training grounds but in real combat were needed.
Why Israel
The Israeli defense sector found itself in the right place at the right time. Its developments were initially created under the pressure of asymmetric threats: drones, missiles, hybrid attacks, cyber operations, strikes on infrastructure.
This is not a showcase but a survival experience.
Air and missile defense technologies, intelligence, early warning systems, electronic warfare — all of this became the subject of increased interest after 2022. And not only from Ukraine but also from EU countries, which suddenly realized their own vulnerability.
Catalyst, Not Cause
It is important to understand: the war in Ukraine did not create the Israeli defense boom from scratch. It only became a catalyst. Israel has invested for many years in research, dual-purpose startups, and the integration of the army and the private sector.
The Ukrainian front showed that the future of war is speed, data, adaptation, and targeted solutions. It is in these niches that Israel feels most confident.
New Opportunities — New Risks
The growth of influence inevitably brings complexities. Israel is forced to navigate between its own security interests, relations with the US, Europe, and the complex geopolitics of the region. Every supply, every contract is now considered through the prism of international consequences.
Nevertheless, the choice for many countries has already been made. In a world where war has once again become a planning factor, preference is given to those who know it from the inside, not from reports.
The Israeli defense breakthrough is not just about the economy. It is a reflection of a global shift where security has ceased to be a theory and has once again become a practice. And in this reality, Israel has become one of the most prepared players, as is increasingly written about today by NAnews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency.