Elbit Systems
Full Text
אלביט מערכות בע"מ
Head office: Advanced Technology Center, P.O.B. 539, Haifa 3100401, Israel. Tel.: +972-77-294-0000 | U.S office: 4700 Marine Creek Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76179, USA. Tel: +1-817-234-6600
An Israel-based international military technology company.
Elbit Systems develops and supplies, among others, military aircraft and helicopter systems, unmanned aircraft systems, munitions, naval and land vehicle systems, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, electro-optic and night vision systems, and other commercial activities.
Elbit is Israel’s biggest military and arms company. The company has a tightly-knit relationship with the Israeli security apparatus for which it provides a wide range of services and develops extensive technology, equipment and platforms deployed in varying fields.
The company utilizes its relationship with the Israeli military as a marketing tool and a testing ground for its technology and often markets its products as “Battle-proven”.
The range of products and services the company provides increased with the company’s purchase in 2018 of the Israeli Military Industries (IMI) company, which was previously state-owned.
Services to the Israeli Military
Elbit Systems provides a wide range of services, technology and weapons to the Israeli military through the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD). In 2022, 17% of Elbit’s revenues were generated from contracts with the IMOD.
Elbit is the main supplier of ground equipment and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of the Israeli military. The company provides armaments and advanced systems for the Armored Corps, Infantry Corps, and Combat Engineering, which include artificial intelligence (AI) based combat systems and developments in the fields of automation and autonomy. Elbit is a leading developer and supplier of advanced systems for the chariot tanks, Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) and additional armored combat vehicles. These systems include unmanned turrets and weapon systems, sights, driving control systems, auxiliary charger systems, and more.
IMOD Contracts
In August 2023, Elbit was contracted to provide the IMOD with thousands of 155 mm shells for US$ 60 million.
In July 2023, Elbit signed an agreement with the IMOD to provide tens of thousands of 155 mm artillery shells worth about NIS 250 million intended for the Israeli Artillery Corps. According to the agreement the delivery is expected in 2024. The 155 mm shells, intended for Howitzer cannons, are also produced in Israel by Elbit's subsidiary, Soltam company.
In February 2023, Elbit won a tender from the IMOD for the construction of a Simulation Center for the Israeli Armored Corps' fighters for USD 107 million. Elbit will provide operation and maintenance services for 15 years.
Gaza 2023-2024
Dozens of Elbit Systems weapon systems have been in use by the Israeli military in its current invasion and ground attack in Gaza – some for the first time.
Since the beginning of the Israeli military onslaught in Gaza in October 2023, the company has increased its support to the IMOD and accelerated the development and delivery of new systems.
In March 2024, the company's order backlog reached a US$ 17.8 billion record with increased sales to the Israeli Ministry of Defense and European countries. Between January and March 2024 alone, the company's sales in Israel increased by 61.5% to US$ 437 million.
Elbit Systems' weapon systems and armaments have been extensively used in the attack on Gaza as well as in Israeli military attacks in Lebanon. These weapons include Elbit's tank shells and cannons, attack and surveillance UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), laser-guided mortars, mortar munition, artillery rockets and armored vehicles' systems.
For more on Elbit Systems’ complicity in the 2023 Israeli attack on Gaza, see Who Profits’ report The Companies Supplying Weapons to Israel’s Attack on Gaza.
UAVs
Elbit Systems' attack UAVs, the Hermes 900 and Hermes 450 have been widely used by the Israeli Air Force during its current attack on Gaza, as in previous ones. The Hermes 450 (also known as "Zik") has been used in the occupied West Bank and Gaza since the early 2000s.
Elbit’s Skylark UAV for tactical surveillance and reconnaissance is regularly used in intelligence-gathering operations in Gaza.
Between October and November 2023, 90% of the targeted killings carried out by the Israeli military in Gaza and the north were carried out using drones. Elbit Hermes 900 and Hermes 450 UAVs have been used for such targeted attacks in Gaza, and in previous attacks on Gaza in 2021 and 2014.
On April 2, 2024, Elbit’s Hermes 450 UAV carried out an attack on an aid convoy in the Deir al-Balah area of Gaza, in which seven aid workers were killed.
The Hermes 900 (also known as “Kochav” or “Star”) took part in the 2014 attack on Gaza and officially entered into operational service later in 2017. The UAV can carry two Spike-MR missiles, manufactured by the Israeli weapon technology company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, and is used both for intelligence purposes and for air strikes using guided missiles. It can reach a height of over 32,000 feet and stay aloft for about 40 hours carrying a payload of up to 350 kg. It has an array of optical, infrared, and laser sensors that allow the operator to identify and track targets as well as to guide munitions in flight.
Elbit’s Skylark UAV has been routinely used in Gaza in past years and during Israel’s deadly attack on Gaza in 2014. The anxiety-inducing buzzing of Israeli military UAVs has become a permanent soundtrack to the lives of Palestinians in Gaza.
Artillery
Additional Elbit weapons used by the Israeli military in the current attack on Gaza include the AccuLAR-160 and AccuLAR-122 Spear guided artillery rockets; the “Kalanit” 120mm APAM (Anti-Personnel Anti-Material Multi-Purpose Tracer) MP-T M329 Cartridge; the “Hatzav” 120mm HE-MP-T, M339 Cartridge; and the “Rakefet” 105mm APAM-MP-T M117/1 Cartridge mortar bombs and tank shells used by the Armored Corps.
Elbit also supplies special helmets used by the F-15 fighter jets which carry out airstrikes in Gaza.
MPR 500 bombs
On 19 October 2023, it was reported that the Israeli Air Force was using Elbit's MPR 500 bombs in its airstrikes on Gaza. The MPR 500 is a 500 lb. (230 kg) multi-purpose rigid penetration and surface attack bomb, adapted for densely populated urban area warfare and launched from jet fighters. The bomb is marketed by Elbit as “combat-proven,” and was operationally used in the Israeli attack on Gaza in 2014. The MPR 500 is approved by Boeing as compatible with its Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kit.
Iron Sting Mortar Munition
On 23 October 2023, the first operational use of Elbit's "Iron Sting" GPS-guided 120 mm mortar was made by the Israeli Commando Brigade in Gaza. The Iron Sting is a laser GPS-guided 120 mm mortar munition that can be guided to a predetermined target by inserting a landmark or location which soldiers can also carry out on the ground.
Drone "Exposure Groups"
On 14 November 2023, drone "exposure groups" were used for targeted killing in Gaza. These exposure groups were one of the major projects implemented in the military in collaboration with Elbit Systems. The groups consist of drones for gathering intelligence and processing information alongside attack drones to destroy targets.
Merkava Mark 4 Main Battle Tank
Elbit supplies some of the technologies implemented in the Merkava Mark 4 “Barak” tank, the main battle tank used by the Israeli military, equipped with sensors and artificial intelligence capabilities. In 2023, the first Barak tanks were delivered to the 52nd Battalion of the 401st "Iron Tracks" Brigade in the Israeli Armored Corps. Dozens of tanks of this type are expected to be delivered to the armored forces in the following years to gradually replace the obsolete Merkava Mark 4 tanks.
Merkava 3
Elbit also supplies the "Barak Zoher" (Bright Lightning, sometimes also shortened to BAZ, Hebrew for Falcon) fire control system for the Merkava Mark 3 tanks, which enables accurate and fast shooting even while the tank is moving quickly, and the ability to track moving targets.
Iron Vision
Elbit also provides the “Iron Vision” combat helmet for the Barak tank commanders that was used in the Barak tanks operating in Gaza. This head-mounted display technology provides a panoramic image of the outside of the tank using augmented reality, with peripheral vision cameras activated according to the movement of the helmet. The system is designed for use in densely built areas using an integrated artificial intelligence (AI) peripheral vision system enabling the crew to “see through” the vehicle’s armor.
The Namer APC
Elbit was the subcontractor developer of the “Namer” Armored Personnel Carrier. In November 2023, the Israeli military deployed the “Namer” APC in its first combat use in the military invasion in northern Gaza. Some of the Namer vehicles are supplied to Israel by Oshkosh Corporation.
Iron Fist
Elbit Systems' "Iron Fist" (Porcupine Arrow) autonomous active defense system was entered into operational use in Gaza in October 2023. The system, developed against anti-tank threats, is used in the Eitan armored personnel carrier (APC) and the Caterpillar D9 bulldozers, which took part in the ground invasion of Gaza.
The Iron Fist incorporates Compact Hemispheric Radars (CHR) manufactured by DRS Rada, a fully owned subsidiary of Italian company Leonardo S.p.A, and infrared sensor manufactured by Elbit’s subsidiary, Elisra.
In January 2020, Elbit signed a first contract with the IMOD to supply the Iron Fist system for USD 31 million.
Ido
Elbit's “Ido” night vision device was used for the first time by the Israeli military in Gaza in November 2023 and has since been widely distributed to battalions operating inside Gaza. The device is mounted on a soldier's helmet and provides a three-dimensional image in low light conditions and complete darkness.
Tzayad Program
Elbit is the developer of the “Tzayad” (Hunter) Digital Land Army program, a digital control and command program of the Israeli Ground Forces, developed in collaboration with the Israeli military.
At an investor conference held at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in March 2024, Bezalel Machlis, CEO of Elbit Systems, said that "in Gaza... fighter jets, helicopters and drones were operated. All of this was possible because of the hunting system (digital ground army) that we developed for the IDF 20 years ago. It was the first digital war in the world."
US Aid
In March 2024, the US Administration’s request for USD 14.5 billion emergency military aid to Israel also included the purchase of Elbit Systems technologies manufactured through its subsidiaries in the US.
Gaza Wall
Elbit Systems has also provided technologies for the wall surrounding the besieged Gaza, used to enforce the 16-year siege on Gaza.
Elbit, in cooperation with the Israeli military, developed a tunnel detection system that was installed as part of the matrix of technologies used to keep over 2 million Palestinians besieged under Israeli blockade in Gaza. The company was also the main contractor for the development of a sensor system for the Israeli military as part of the technological measures of the "smart border" established around the fences surrounding Gaza.
Jaguar Unmanned Vehicle
Elbit Systems provided the technology for the "Jaguar" robot, an unmanned vehicle manufactured by the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). In 2021, the Jaguar was deployed around the besieged Gaza, opposite Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun. The robot is equipped with dozens of sensors, an autonomous driving system, and a MAG machine gun.
Gaza Border Control
Elbit developed the Israeli military's Unmanned Ground Vehicle "Border Protector" in cooperation with the Israeli military. The vehicle is based on a commercial Ford F-350 pickup on which remote control, observation, and communication systems were installed. The vehicle was deployed to surveil the barrier surrounding Gaza since 2016. The vehicles were equipped by Elbit Systems with remote driving technology and fitted with driving cameras and a 360-degree observation camera for remote operation. In 2017, the vehicles were armed to be used as remotely controlled weapons.
Gaza 2021
During Israel's 11-day onslaught against Gaza in May 2021, which left 248 people dead and over 1,900 injured, Elbit drones were reportedly operated in coordination with mortars and ground-based missiles to strike dozens of targets miles away from the border. According to reports, Elbit company personnel took part in the operation room of a special drone unit deployed.
According to reports, Elbit drones were in use, and new artificial intelligence capabilities were put into practice as part of a new military unit. The unit operated fleets of drones that inspect and collect intelligence and another that would attack targets based on the collected information. According to an interview with an Israeli military General from June 2021: “We operated day and night in cooperation with unit 9900, Elbit, the Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure … to perfect the system. We carried out more than 30 operations.” The use of these artificial intelligence capabilities led the military to declare the onslaught on Gaza as the world’s “first AI war”.
Iron Beam
Additionally, Elbit is one of the manufacturers of the "Iron Beam" system designed to intercept rockets with a laser beam up to a range of 10 km as a complementary system to the "Iron Dome". The system is manufactured by Elbit together with Rafael, Lockheed Martin and the IMOD R&D Directorate.
Lebanon and Syria
Elbit drones have also been used in Israeli military attacks on sites in Syria and Lebanon.
In February 2024, an Elbit Hermes 450 UAV was intercepted inside Lebanon, more than 20 km north of the border, north of Nabatia. In February 2021, Israeli media outlets reported that Elbit’s Hermes 450 was in use as part of Israel’s attacks on targets in Syria.
West Bank
In July 2022, the Israeli military confirmed the use of attack drones by the Israeli military as part of its operational activities in the occupied West Bank.
On 27 March 2024, Elbit Hermes 450 UAV participated in an airstrike on Jenin Refugee Camp in the occupied West Bank.
Additionally, Elbit’s Skylark UAV is used during military operations and house arrest in the occupied West Bank. The Skylark was used during the Israeli attacks in June and July 2014, where dozens of Palestinian civilians were arbitrarily arrested.
The Wall and Checkpoints
Elbit Systems has been one of the main providers of the electronic detection fence system to the Apartheid Wall in the occupied West Bank. The company established the electronic fence along about 25 km around East Jerusalem, cutting off Jerusalem’s Palestinian residents from the West Bank, as part of a US$ 5 million contract for the IMOD.
Elbit Systems developed, in cooperation with IAI, the Guardium UGV autonomous vehicle for border control. The vehicle is used by the Israeli military in its ongoing activity along the barrier surrounding the besieged Gaza and along sections of the Separation Wall in the occupied West Bank. The unmanned vehicle is equipped with sensors, which enable the identification of obstacles at close and long ranges while transmitting a 3D image to the control room.
Reut System
Furthermore, Elbit Systems is a major supplier of technology and developer of data collection systems for the Israeli authorities.
In September 2017, Elbit Systems won a tender from the Population and Immigration Authority for the operation, support, maintenance, and further development of the Rotem/Reut System for border control. ‘Rotem’ is a registration database deployed at Israel’s international borders, and 'Reut' is a data registration system deployed at Israeli checkpoints monitoring the movement of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza.
According to a response to a Freedom of Information request submitted by Who Profits received in May 2021, the system has an interface with other systems and bodies, among others with the Israeli Civil Administration (ICA) in the West Bank, the Israeli military, the Israel Police and Israel Prison Service. Additionally, Elbit is responsible for maintaining the system's data on the computing infrastructure of the Population and Immigration Authority. In 2020, Elbit secured another contract with the Israeli Ministry of Interior for the upgrade of the Rotem-Reut system.
Roboteam
Elbit Systems partially owned subsidiary, Roboteam, is a developer of Unmanned Ground Vehicles that supplies robots to the Israeli military. Roboteam provided dozens of robots to the Israeli military Infantry Corps.
The company developed the Israeli military’s first battlefield robot, “Roni”, which was tested in the occupied West Bank and on the besieged Gaza border.
In 2014, Roboteam robots were used by the Israeli military during its 50-day attack on Gaza, which left over 2,200 people dead. During the Israeli attack and ground invasion of Gaza, the Israeli military has made increased use of robots in Gaza.
Roboteam also provides the Israeli military with the armed “Probot V2” UGV (unmanned ground vehicle), used by Israeli Engineering Paratroopers.
Elbit Systems and Roboteam jointly developed the "Rook" fully-autonomous robotic unmanned ground vehicle that can perform surveillance and intelligence-gathering missions, and operate as a remote weapon system and loitering munitions.
Additionally, Roboteam developed in collaboration with Smart Shooter company an autonomous combat robot equipped with a firing position with an AI-based sight.
Services to Settlements
In February 2020, Elbit's subsidiary, Incubit Technology Ventures Ltd., signed an agreement with the heads of Ariel University for the joint promotion of ventures in the field of deep technology. Incubit, a technology hub fully-owned by Elbit, and Ariel University will promote joint projects in the fields of entrepreneurship, innovation and commercialization of deep-tech technologies.
Services for Israel Police
In April 2023, Elbit Systems signed an eight-year extension of an agreement with the Ministry of National Security for the provision of firefighting squadron services. According to the agreement, Elbit will continue to provide aerial firefighting services through a fleet of 14 aircraft, all the elements of operational capability, including the ongoing maintenance of the aircraft and their preparation for flying in aerial operational capacity. The squadron will be operated by Elbit Systems in accordance with the needs of the Israel Police in coordination with the National Fire and Rescue Authority.
In 2015, Elbit Systems won a 20-year contract for a helicopter project of the Israel Police for USD 115 million. The contract included the purchase of six new helicopters, their adaptation according to the police requirements and routine maintenance for 20 years.
In 2019, Elbit Systems was contracted by the Israeli Ministry of Interior (MOI) and the Israel Police to supply and maintain blocking systems for the Israeli police for 3 years for NIS 350,000.
Naqab
Ramat Beka Military Industrial Zone in the Naqab
In 2018, Elbit Systems purchased the Israeli government company Israeli Military Industries (IMI) for NIS 1.8 billion. According to the purchase agreement, the amount will be fully refunded to Elbit once IMI’s production facilities are relocated from Ramat Hasharon city in the center of Israel to Ramat Beka in the Naqab region.
The Ramat Beka area has been used by IMI as a weapon testing facility since the 1960s, in total disregard of the presence of the Palestinian Bedouin villages of Abu Qrinat/Umm Mitnan, Wadi Al-mshash, Wadi Al-na’am, Abu Tlul, and Swawin in the area. In 2017, the plan for the establishment of the Industrial Zone Complex in Ramat Beka was approved as part of the relocation of IMI's factories. The planned expansion rests on the mass forced displacement of thousands of the area’s Palestinian residents. Some 2,113 buildings, including 1,200 homes, are slated for demolition, and strict construction and development restrictions in the area will limit the development of the villages. Those who manage to remain will face further environmental, health and life risks.
Elbit’s new complex, in an area of 52,000 dunams, will include 150 buildings and technological centers for the production of armaments and household warheads and will include laboratories and experimental areas. The new factory is designed to include advanced automated production lines, which will greatly increase Elbit’s production capacity of 120 mm tank shells, 155 mm cannon shells, mortar shells and rockets. The factory is expected to be open by the end of 2024.
In March 2020, Elbit Systems signed a 5-year contract worth NIS 60 million with the Baran Group, for the purpose of planning, managing, and supervising the implementation of the project.
For more on development and military projects in the Naqab see Who Profits’ interactive map Tools of Dispossession in the Naqab.
Profiting from repression
Previous research by Who Profits showed how Elbit Systems is increasing its profits by diversifying its product offering, benefitting from the close ties between the Israeli military establishment and other sectors. Who Profits' previous report, For Medicinal Purposes: The Israeli Military Sector and the Coronavirus Crisis, tracked how the company transfers knowledge acquired over years of developing mechanisms of repression for military use, to the medical sector.
Global Activity
Elbit Systems is a global supplier of products and services, including to the militaries of Poland, Romania, Finland, Sweden, UK, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Australia, Spain, Thailand, Switzerland, UAE, Kazakhstan, Greece, Myanmar, Montenegro, India and Rwanda. The company is also a supplier of equipment and technology to police forces, including the Spanish state and the German police and cyber intelligence system to the Dutch National Police.
An Israel-based international military technology company.
Elbit Systems develops and supplies, among others, military aircraft and helicopter systems, unmanned aircraft systems, munitions, naval and land vehicle systems, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, electro-optic and night vision systems, and other commercial activities.
Elbit is Israel’s biggest military and arms company. The company has a tightly-knit relationship with the Israeli security apparatus for which it provides a wide range of services and develops extensive technology, equipment and platforms deployed in varying fields.
The company utilizes its relationship with the Israeli military as a marketing tool and a testing ground for its technology and often markets its products as “Battle-proven”.
The range of products and services the company provides increased with the company’s purchase in 2018 of the Israeli Military Industries (IMI) company, which was previously state-owned.
Services to the Israeli Military
Elbit Systems provides a wide range of services, technology and weapons to the Israeli military through the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD). In 2022, 17% of Elbit’s revenues were generated from contracts with the IMOD.
Elbit is the main supplier of ground equipment and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of the Israeli military. The company provides armaments and advanced systems for the Armored Corps, Infantry Corps, and Combat Engineering, which include artificial intelligence (AI) based combat systems and developments in the fields of automation and autonomy. Elbit is a leading developer and supplier of advanced systems for the chariot tanks, Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) and additional armored combat vehicles. These systems include unmanned turrets and weapon systems, sights, driving control systems, auxiliary charger systems, and more.
IMOD Contracts
In August 2023, Elbit was contracted to provide the IMOD with thousands of 155 mm shells for US$ 60 million.
In July 2023, Elbit signed an agreement with the IMOD to provide tens of thousands of 155 mm artillery shells worth about NIS 250 million intended for the Israeli Artillery Corps. According to the agreement the delivery is expected in 2024. The 155 mm shells, intended for Howitzer cannons, are also produced in Israel by Elbit's subsidiary, Soltam company.
In February 2023, Elbit won a tender from the IMOD for the construction of a Simulation Center for the Israeli Armored Corps' fighters for USD 107 million. Elbit will provide operation and maintenance services for 15 years.
Gaza 2023-2024
Dozens of Elbit Systems weapon systems have been in use by the Israeli military in its current invasion and ground attack in Gaza – some for the first time.
Since the beginning of the Israeli military onslaught in Gaza in October 2023, the company has increased its support to the IMOD and accelerated the development and delivery of new systems.
In March 2024, the company's order backlog reached a US$ 17.8 billion record with increased sales to the Israeli Ministry of Defense and European countries. Between January and March 2024 alone, the company's sales in Israel increased by 61.5% to US$ 437 million.
Elbit Systems' weapon systems and armaments have been extensively used in the attack on Gaza as well as in Israeli military attacks in Lebanon. These weapons include Elbit's tank shells and cannons, attack and surveillance UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), laser-guided mortars, mortar munition, artillery rockets and armored vehicles' systems.
For more on Elbit Systems’ complicity in the 2023 Israeli attack on Gaza, see Who Profits’ report The Companies Supplying Weapons to Israel’s Attack on Gaza.
UAVs
Elbit Systems' attack UAVs, the Hermes 900 and Hermes 450 have been widely used by the Israeli Air Force during its current attack on Gaza, as in previous ones. The Hermes 450 (also known as "Zik") has been used in the occupied West Bank and Gaza since the early 2000s.
Elbit’s Skylark UAV for tactical surveillance and reconnaissance is regularly used in intelligence-gathering operations in Gaza.
Between October and November 2023, 90% of the targeted killings carried out by the Israeli military in Gaza and the north were carried out using drones. Elbit Hermes 900 and Hermes 450 UAVs have been used for such targeted attacks in Gaza, and in previous attacks on Gaza in 2021 and 2014.
On April 2, 2024, Elbit’s Hermes 450 UAV carried out an attack on an aid convoy in the Deir al-Balah area of Gaza, in which seven aid workers were killed.
The Hermes 900 (also known as “Kochav” or “Star”) took part in the 2014 attack on Gaza and officially entered into operational service later in 2017. The UAV can carry two Spike-MR missiles, manufactured by the Israeli weapon technology company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, and is used both for intelligence purposes and for air strikes using guided missiles. It can reach a height of over 32,000 feet and stay aloft for about 40 hours carrying a payload of up to 350 kg. It has an array of optical, infrared, and laser sensors that allow the operator to identify and track targets as well as to guide munitions in flight.
Elbit’s Skylark UAV has been routinely used in Gaza in past years and during Israel’s deadly attack on Gaza in 2014. The anxiety-inducing buzzing of Israeli military UAVs has become a permanent soundtrack to the lives of Palestinians in Gaza.
Artillery
Additional Elbit weapons used by the Israeli military in the current attack on Gaza include the AccuLAR-160 and AccuLAR-122 Spear guided artillery rockets; the “Kalanit” 120mm APAM (Anti-Personnel Anti-Material Multi-Purpose Tracer) MP-T M329 Cartridge; the “Hatzav” 120mm HE-MP-T, M339 Cartridge; and the “Rakefet” 105mm APAM-MP-T M117/1 Cartridge mortar bombs and tank shells used by the Armored Corps.
Elbit also supplies special helmets used by the F-15 fighter jets which carry out airstrikes in Gaza.
MPR 500 bombs
On 19 October 2023, it was reported that the Israeli Air Force was using Elbit's MPR 500 bombs in its airstrikes on Gaza. The MPR 500 is a 500 lb. (230 kg) multi-purpose rigid penetration and surface attack bomb, adapted for densely populated urban area warfare and launched from jet fighters. The bomb is marketed by Elbit as “combat-proven,” and was operationally used in the Israeli attack on Gaza in 2014. The MPR 500 is approved by Boeing as compatible with its Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kit.
Iron Sting Mortar Munition
On 23 October 2023, the first operational use of Elbit's "Iron Sting" GPS-guided 120 mm mortar was made by the Israeli Commando Brigade in Gaza. The Iron Sting is a laser GPS-guided 120 mm mortar munition that can be guided to a predetermined target by inserting a landmark or location which soldiers can also carry out on the ground.
Drone "Exposure Groups"
On 14 November 2023, drone "exposure groups" were used for targeted killing in Gaza. These exposure groups were one of the major projects implemented in the military in collaboration with Elbit Systems. The groups consist of drones for gathering intelligence and processing information alongside attack drones to destroy targets.
Merkava Mark 4 Main Battle Tank
Elbit supplies some of the technologies implemented in the Merkava Mark 4 “Barak” tank, the main battle tank used by the Israeli military, equipped with sensors and artificial intelligence capabilities. In 2023, the first Barak tanks were delivered to the 52nd Battalion of the 401st "Iron Tracks" Brigade in the Israeli Armored Corps. Dozens of tanks of this type are expected to be delivered to the armored forces in the following years to gradually replace the obsolete Merkava Mark 4 tanks.
Merkava 3
Elbit also supplies the "Barak Zoher" (Bright Lightning, sometimes also shortened to BAZ, Hebrew for Falcon) fire control system for the Merkava Mark 3 tanks, which enables accurate and fast shooting even while the tank is moving quickly, and the ability to track moving targets.
Iron Vision
Elbit also provides the “Iron Vision” combat helmet for the Barak tank commanders that was used in the Barak tanks operating in Gaza. This head-mounted display technology provides a panoramic image of the outside of the tank using augmented reality, with peripheral vision cameras activated according to the movement of the helmet. The system is designed for use in densely built areas using an integrated artificial intelligence (AI) peripheral vision system enabling the crew to “see through” the vehicle’s armor.
The Namer APC
Elbit was the subcontractor developer of the “Namer” Armored Personnel Carrier. In November 2023, the Israeli military deployed the “Namer” APC in its first combat use in the military invasion in northern Gaza. Some of the Namer vehicles are supplied to Israel by Oshkosh Corporation.
Iron Fist
Elbit Systems' "Iron Fist" (Porcupine Arrow) autonomous active defense system was entered into operational use in Gaza in October 2023. The system, developed against anti-tank threats, is used in the Eitan armored personnel carrier (APC) and the Caterpillar D9 bulldozers, which took part in the ground invasion of Gaza.
The Iron Fist incorporates Compact Hemispheric Radars (CHR) manufactured by DRS Rada, a fully owned subsidiary of Italian company Leonardo S.p.A, and infrared sensor manufactured by Elbit’s subsidiary, Elisra.
In January 2020, Elbit signed a first contract with the IMOD to supply the Iron Fist system for USD 31 million.
Ido
Elbit's “Ido” night vision device was used for the first time by the Israeli military in Gaza in November 2023 and has since been widely distributed to battalions operating inside Gaza. The device is mounted on a soldier's helmet and provides a three-dimensional image in low light conditions and complete darkness.
Tzayad Program
Elbit is the developer of the “Tzayad” (Hunter) Digital Land Army program, a digital control and command program of the Israeli Ground Forces, developed in collaboration with the Israeli military.
At an investor conference held at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in March 2024, Bezalel Machlis, CEO of Elbit Systems, said that "in Gaza... fighter jets, helicopters and drones were operated. All of this was possible because of the hunting system (digital ground army) that we developed for the IDF 20 years ago. It was the first digital war in the world."
US Aid
In March 2024, the US Administration’s request for USD 14.5 billion emergency military aid to Israel also included the purchase of Elbit Systems technologies manufactured through its subsidiaries in the US.
Gaza Wall
Elbit Systems has also provided technologies for the wall surrounding the besieged Gaza, used to enforce the 16-year siege on Gaza.
Elbit, in cooperation with the Israeli military, developed a tunnel detection system that was installed as part of the matrix of technologies used to keep over 2 million Palestinians besieged under Israeli blockade in Gaza. The company was also the main contractor for the development of a sensor system for the Israeli military as part of the technological measures of the "smart border" established around the fences surrounding Gaza.
Jaguar Unmanned Vehicle
Elbit Systems provided the technology for the "Jaguar" robot, an unmanned vehicle manufactured by the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). In 2021, the Jaguar was deployed around the besieged Gaza, opposite Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun. The robot is equipped with dozens of sensors, an autonomous driving system, and a MAG machine gun.
Gaza Border Control
Elbit developed the Israeli military's Unmanned Ground Vehicle "Border Protector" in cooperation with the Israeli military. The vehicle is based on a commercial Ford F-350 pickup on which remote control, observation, and communication systems were installed. The vehicle was deployed to surveil the barrier surrounding Gaza since 2016. The vehicles were equipped by Elbit Systems with remote driving technology and fitted with driving cameras and a 360-degree observation camera for remote operation. In 2017, the vehicles were armed to be used as remotely controlled weapons.
Gaza 2021
During Israel's 11-day onslaught against Gaza in May 2021, which left 248 people dead and over 1,900 injured, Elbit drones were reportedly operated in coordination with mortars and ground-based missiles to strike dozens of targets miles away from the border. According to reports, Elbit company personnel took part in the operation room of a special drone unit deployed.
According to reports, Elbit drones were in use, and new artificial intelligence capabilities were put into practice as part of a new military unit. The unit operated fleets of drones that inspect and collect intelligence and another that would attack targets based on the collected information. According to an interview with an Israeli military General from June 2021: “We operated day and night in cooperation with unit 9900, Elbit, the Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure … to perfect the system. We carried out more than 30 operations.” The use of these artificial intelligence capabilities led the military to declare the onslaught on Gaza as the world’s “first AI war”.
Iron Beam
Additionally, Elbit is one of the manufacturers of the "Iron Beam" system designed to intercept rockets with a laser beam up to a range of 10 km as a complementary system to the "Iron Dome". The system is manufactured by Elbit together with Rafael, Lockheed Martin and the IMOD R&D Directorate.
Lebanon and Syria
Elbit drones have also been used in Israeli military attacks on sites in Syria and Lebanon.
In February 2024, an Elbit Hermes 450 UAV was intercepted inside Lebanon, more than 20 km north of the border, north of Nabatia. In February 2021, Israeli media outlets reported that Elbit’s Hermes 450 was in use as part of Israel’s attacks on targets in Syria.
West Bank
In July 2022, the Israeli military confirmed the use of attack drones by the Israeli military as part of its operational activities in the occupied West Bank.
On 27 March 2024, Elbit Hermes 450 UAV participated in an airstrike on Jenin Refugee Camp in the occupied West Bank.
Additionally, Elbit’s Skylark UAV is used during military operations and house arrest in the occupied West Bank. The Skylark was used during the Israeli attacks in June and July 2014, where dozens of Palestinian civilians were arbitrarily arrested.
The Wall and Checkpoints
Elbit Systems has been one of the main providers of the electronic detection fence system to the Apartheid Wall in the occupied West Bank. The company established the electronic fence along about 25 km around East Jerusalem, cutting off Jerusalem’s Palestinian residents from the West Bank, as part of a US$ 5 million contract for the IMOD.
Elbit Systems developed, in cooperation with IAI, the Guardium UGV autonomous vehicle for border control. The vehicle is used by the Israeli military in its ongoing activity along the barrier surrounding the besieged Gaza and along sections of the Separation Wall in the occupied West Bank. The unmanned vehicle is equipped with sensors, which enable the identification of obstacles at close and long ranges while transmitting a 3D image to the control room.
Reut System
Furthermore, Elbit Systems is a major supplier of technology and developer of data collection systems for the Israeli authorities.
In September 2017, Elbit Systems won a tender from the Population and Immigration Authority for the operation, support, maintenance, and further development of the Rotem/Reut System for border control. ‘Rotem’ is a registration database deployed at Israel’s international borders, and 'Reut' is a data registration system deployed at Israeli checkpoints monitoring the movement of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza.
According to a response to a Freedom of Information request submitted by Who Profits received in May 2021, the system has an interface with other systems and bodies, among others with the Israeli Civil Administration (ICA) in the West Bank, the Israeli military, the Israel Police and Israel Prison Service. Additionally, Elbit is responsible for maintaining the system's data on the computing infrastructure of the Population and Immigration Authority. In 2020, Elbit secured another contract with the Israeli Ministry of Interior for the upgrade of the Rotem-Reut system.
Roboteam
Elbit Systems partially owned subsidiary, Roboteam, is a developer of Unmanned Ground Vehicles that supplies robots to the Israeli military. Roboteam provided dozens of robots to the Israeli military Infantry Corps.
The company developed the Israeli military’s first battlefield robot, “Roni”, which was tested in the occupied West Bank and on the besieged Gaza border.
In 2014, Roboteam robots were used by the Israeli military during its 50-day attack on Gaza, which left over 2,200 people dead. During the Israeli attack and ground invasion of Gaza, the Israeli military has made increased use of robots in Gaza.
Roboteam also provides the Israeli military with the armed “Probot V2” UGV (unmanned ground vehicle), used by Israeli Engineering Paratroopers.
Elbit Systems and Roboteam jointly developed the "Rook" fully-autonomous robotic unmanned ground vehicle that can perform surveillance and intelligence-gathering missions, and operate as a remote weapon system and loitering munitions.
Additionally, Roboteam developed in collaboration with Smart Shooter company an autonomous combat robot equipped with a firing position with an AI-based sight.
Services to Settlements
In February 2020, Elbit's subsidiary, Incubit Technology Ventures Ltd., signed an agreement with the heads of Ariel University for the joint promotion of ventures in the field of deep technology. Incubit, a technology hub fully-owned by Elbit, and Ariel University will promote joint projects in the fields of entrepreneurship, innovation and commercialization of deep-tech technologies.
Services for Israel Police
In April 2023, Elbit Systems signed an eight-year extension of an agreement with the Ministry of National Security for the provision of firefighting squadron services. According to the agreement, Elbit will continue to provide aerial firefighting services through a fleet of 14 aircraft, all the elements of operational capability, including the ongoing maintenance of the aircraft and their preparation for flying in aerial operational capacity. The squadron will be operated by Elbit Systems in accordance with the needs of the Israel Police in coordination with the National Fire and Rescue Authority.
In 2015, Elbit Systems won a 20-year contract for a helicopter project of the Israel Police for USD 115 million. The contract included the purchase of six new helicopters, their adaptation according to the police requirements and routine maintenance for 20 years.
In 2019, Elbit Systems was contracted by the Israeli Ministry of Interior (MOI) and the Israel Police to supply and maintain blocking systems for the Israeli police for 3 years for NIS 350,000.
Naqab
Ramat Beka Military Industrial Zone in the Naqab
In 2018, Elbit Systems purchased the Israeli government company Israeli Military Industries (IMI) for NIS 1.8 billion. According to the purchase agreement, the amount will be fully refunded to Elbit once IMI’s production facilities are relocated from Ramat Hasharon city in the center of Israel to Ramat Beka in the Naqab region.
The Ramat Beka area has been used by IMI as a weapon testing facility since the 1960s, in total disregard of the presence of the Palestinian Bedouin villages of Abu Qrinat/Umm Mitnan, Wadi Al-mshash, Wadi Al-na’am, Abu Tlul, and Swawin in the area. In 2017, the plan for the establishment of the Industrial Zone Complex in Ramat Beka was approved as part of the relocation of IMI's factories. The planned expansion rests on the mass forced displacement of thousands of the area’s Palestinian residents. Some 2,113 buildings, including 1,200 homes, are slated for demolition, and strict construction and development restrictions in the area will limit the development of the villages. Those who manage to remain will face further environmental, health and life risks.
Elbit’s new complex, in an area of 52,000 dunams, will include 150 buildings and technological centers for the production of armaments and household warheads and will include laboratories and experimental areas. The new factory is designed to include advanced automated production lines, which will greatly increase Elbit’s production capacity of 120 mm tank shells, 155 mm cannon shells, mortar shells and rockets. The factory is expected to be open by the end of 2024.
In March 2020, Elbit Systems signed a 5-year contract worth NIS 60 million with the Baran Group, for the purpose of planning, managing, and supervising the implementation of the project.
For more on development and military projects in the Naqab see Who Profits’ interactive map Tools of Dispossession in the Naqab.
Profiting from repression
Previous research by Who Profits showed how Elbit Systems is increasing its profits by diversifying its product offering, benefitting from the close ties between the Israeli military establishment and other sectors. Who Profits' previous report, For Medicinal Purposes: The Israeli Military Sector and the Coronavirus Crisis, tracked how the company transfers knowledge acquired over years of developing mechanisms of repression for military use, to the medical sector.
Global Activity
Elbit Systems is a global supplier of products and services, including to the militaries of Poland, Romania, Finland, Sweden, UK, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Australia, Spain, Thailand, Switzerland, UAE, Kazakhstan, Greece, Myanmar, Montenegro, India and Rwanda. The company is also a supplier of equipment and technology to police forces, including the Spanish state and the German police and cyber intelligence system to the Dutch National Police.
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Elbit Systems
אלביט מערכות בע"מ
Head office: Advanced Technology Center, P.O.B. 539, Haifa 3100401, Israel. Tel.: +972-77-294-0000 | U.S office: 4700 Marine Creek Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76179, USA. Tel: +1-817-234-6600
An Israel-based international military technology company.
Elbit Systems develops and supplies, among others, military aircraft and helicopter systems, unmanned aircraft systems, munitions, naval and land vehicle systems, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, electro-optic and night vision systems, and other commercial activities.
Elbit is Israel’s biggest military and arms company. The company has a tightly-knit relationship with the Israeli security apparatus for which it provides a wide range of services and develops extensive technology, equipment and platforms deployed in varying fields.
The company utilizes its relationship with the Israeli military as a marketing tool and a testing ground for its technology and often markets its products as “Battle-proven”.
The range of products and services the company provides increased with the company’s purchase in 2018 of the Israeli Military Industries (IMI) company, which was previously state-owned.
Services to the Israeli Military
Elbit Systems provides a wide range of services, technology and weapons to the Israeli military through the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD). In 2022, 17% of Elbit’s revenues were generated from contracts with the IMOD.
Elbit is the main supplier of ground equipment and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of the Israeli military. The company provides armaments and advanced systems for the Armored Corps, Infantry Corps, and Combat Engineering, which include artificial intelligence (AI) based combat systems and developments in the fields of automation and autonomy. Elbit is a leading developer and supplier of advanced systems for the chariot tanks, Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) and additional armored combat vehicles. These systems include unmanned turrets and weapon systems, sights, driving control systems, auxiliary charger systems, and more.
IMOD Contracts
In August 2023, Elbit was contracted to provide the IMOD with thousands of 155 mm shells for US$ 60 million.
In July 2023, Elbit signed an agreement with the IMOD to provide tens of thousands of 155 mm artillery shells worth about NIS 250 million intended for the Israeli Artillery Corps. According to the agreement the delivery is expected in 2024. The 155 mm shells, intended for Howitzer cannons, are also produced in Israel by Elbit's subsidiary, Soltam company.
In February 2023, Elbit won a tender from the IMOD for the construction of a Simulation Center for the Israeli Armored Corps' fighters for USD 107 million. Elbit will provide operation and maintenance services for 15 years.
Gaza 2023-2024
Dozens of Elbit Systems weapon systems have been in use by the Israeli military in its current invasion and ground attack in Gaza – some for the first time.
Since the beginning of the Israeli military onslaught in Gaza in October 2023, the company has increased its support to the IMOD and accelerated the development and delivery of new systems.
In March 2024, the company's order backlog reached a US$ 17.8 billion record with increased sales to the Israeli Ministry of Defense and European countries. Between January and March 2024 alone, the company's sales in Israel increased by 61.5% to US$ 437 million.
Elbit Systems' weapon systems and armaments have been extensively used in the attack on Gaza as well as in Israeli military attacks in Lebanon. These weapons include Elbit's tank shells and cannons, attack and surveillance UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), laser-guided mortars, mortar munition, artillery rockets and armored vehicles' systems.
For more on Elbit Systems’ complicity in the 2023 Israeli attack on Gaza, see Who Profits’ report The Companies Supplying Weapons to Israel’s Attack on Gaza.
UAVs
Elbit Systems' attack UAVs, the Hermes 900 and Hermes 450 have been widely used by the Israeli Air Force during its current attack on Gaza, as in previous ones. The Hermes 450 (also known as "Zik") has been used in the occupied West Bank and Gaza since the early 2000s.
Elbit’s Skylark UAV for tactical surveillance and reconnaissance is regularly used in intelligence-gathering operations in Gaza.
Between October and November 2023, 90% of the targeted killings carried out by the Israeli military in Gaza and the north were carried out using drones. Elbit Hermes 900 and Hermes 450 UAVs have been used for such targeted attacks in Gaza, and in previous attacks on Gaza in 2021 and 2014.
On April 2, 2024, Elbit’s Hermes 450 UAV carried out an attack on an aid convoy in the Deir al-Balah area of Gaza, in which seven aid workers were killed.
The Hermes 900 (also known as “Kochav” or “Star”) took part in the 2014 attack on Gaza and officially entered into operational service later in 2017. The UAV can carry two Spike-MR missiles, manufactured by the Israeli weapon technology company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, and is used both for intelligence purposes and for air strikes using guided missiles. It can reach a height of over 32,000 feet and stay aloft for about 40 hours carrying a payload of up to 350 kg. It has an array of optical, infrared, and laser sensors that allow the operator to identify and track targets as well as to guide munitions in flight.
Elbit’s Skylark UAV has been routinely used in Gaza in past years and during Israel’s deadly attack on Gaza in 2014. The anxiety-inducing buzzing of Israeli military UAVs has become a permanent soundtrack to the lives of Palestinians in Gaza.
Artillery
Additional Elbit weapons used by the Israeli military in the current attack on Gaza include the AccuLAR-160 and AccuLAR-122 Spear guided artillery rockets; the “Kalanit” 120mm APAM (Anti-Personnel Anti-Material Multi-Purpose Tracer) MP-T M329 Cartridge; the “Hatzav” 120mm HE-MP-T, M339 Cartridge; and the “Rakefet” 105mm APAM-MP-T M117/1 Cartridge mortar bombs and tank shells used by the Armored Corps.
Elbit also supplies special helmets used by the F-15 fighter jets which carry out airstrikes in Gaza.
MPR 500 bombs
On 19 October 2023, it was reported that the Israeli Air Force was using Elbit's MPR 500 bombs in its airstrikes on Gaza. The MPR 500 is a 500 lb. (230 kg) multi-purpose rigid penetration and surface attack bomb, adapted for densely populated urban area warfare and launched from jet fighters. The bomb is marketed by Elbit as “combat-proven,” and was operationally used in the Israeli attack on Gaza in 2014. The MPR 500 is approved by Boeing as compatible with its Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kit.
Iron Sting Mortar Munition
On 23 October 2023, the first operational use of Elbit's "Iron Sting" GPS-guided 120 mm mortar was made by the Israeli Commando Brigade in Gaza. The Iron Sting is a laser GPS-guided 120 mm mortar munition that can be guided to a predetermined target by inserting a landmark or location which soldiers can also carry out on the ground.
Drone "Exposure Groups"
On 14 November 2023, drone "exposure groups" were used for targeted killing in Gaza. These exposure groups were one of the major projects implemented in the military in collaboration with Elbit Systems. The groups consist of drones for gathering intelligence and processing information alongside attack drones to destroy targets.
Merkava Mark 4 Main Battle Tank
Elbit supplies some of the technologies implemented in the Merkava Mark 4 “Barak” tank, the main battle tank used by the Israeli military, equipped with sensors and artificial intelligence capabilities. In 2023, the first Barak tanks were delivered to the 52nd Battalion of the 401st "Iron Tracks" Brigade in the Israeli Armored Corps. Dozens of tanks of this type are expected to be delivered to the armored forces in the following years to gradually replace the obsolete Merkava Mark 4 tanks.
Merkava 3
Elbit also supplies the "Barak Zoher" (Bright Lightning, sometimes also shortened to BAZ, Hebrew for Falcon) fire control system for the Merkava Mark 3 tanks, which enables accurate and fast shooting even while the tank is moving quickly, and the ability to track moving targets.
Iron Vision
Elbit also provides the “Iron Vision” combat helmet for the Barak tank commanders that was used in the Barak tanks operating in Gaza. This head-mounted display technology provides a panoramic image of the outside of the tank using augmented reality, with peripheral vision cameras activated according to the movement of the helmet. The system is designed for use in densely built areas using an integrated artificial intelligence (AI) peripheral vision system enabling the crew to “see through” the vehicle’s armor.
The Namer APC
Elbit was the subcontractor developer of the “Namer” Armored Personnel Carrier. In November 2023, the Israeli military deployed the “Namer” APC in its first combat use in the military invasion in northern Gaza. Some of the Namer vehicles are supplied to Israel by Oshkosh Corporation.
Iron Fist
Elbit Systems' "Iron Fist" (Porcupine Arrow) autonomous active defense system was entered into operational use in Gaza in October 2023. The system, developed against anti-tank threats, is used in the Eitan armored personnel carrier (APC) and the Caterpillar D9 bulldozers, which took part in the ground invasion of Gaza.
The Iron Fist incorporates Compact Hemispheric Radars (CHR) manufactured by DRS Rada, a fully owned subsidiary of Italian company Leonardo S.p.A, and infrared sensor manufactured by Elbit’s subsidiary, Elisra.
In January 2020, Elbit signed a first contract with the IMOD to supply the Iron Fist system for USD 31 million.
Ido
Elbit's “Ido” night vision device was used for the first time by the Israeli military in Gaza in November 2023 and has since been widely distributed to battalions operating inside Gaza. The device is mounted on a soldier's helmet and provides a three-dimensional image in low light conditions and complete darkness.
Tzayad Program
Elbit is the developer of the “Tzayad” (Hunter) Digital Land Army program, a digital control and command program of the Israeli Ground Forces, developed in collaboration with the Israeli military.
At an investor conference held at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in March 2024, Bezalel Machlis, CEO of Elbit Systems, said that "in Gaza... fighter jets, helicopters and drones were operated. All of this was possible because of the hunting system (digital ground army) that we developed for the IDF 20 years ago. It was the first digital war in the world."
US Aid
In March 2024, the US Administration’s request for USD 14.5 billion emergency military aid to Israel also included the purchase of Elbit Systems technologies manufactured through its subsidiaries in the US.
Gaza Wall
Elbit Systems has also provided technologies for the wall surrounding the besieged Gaza, used to enforce the 16-year siege on Gaza.
Elbit, in cooperation with the Israeli military, developed a tunnel detection system that was installed as part of the matrix of technologies used to keep over 2 million Palestinians besieged under Israeli blockade in Gaza. The company was also the main contractor for the development of a sensor system for the Israeli military as part of the technological measures of the "smart border" established around the fences surrounding Gaza.
Jaguar Unmanned Vehicle
Elbit Systems provided the technology for the "Jaguar" robot, an unmanned vehicle manufactured by the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). In 2021, the Jaguar was deployed around the besieged Gaza, opposite Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun. The robot is equipped with dozens of sensors, an autonomous driving system, and a MAG machine gun.
Gaza Border Control
Elbit developed the Israeli military's Unmanned Ground Vehicle "Border Protector" in cooperation with the Israeli military. The vehicle is based on a commercial Ford F-350 pickup on which remote control, observation, and communication systems were installed. The vehicle was deployed to surveil the barrier surrounding Gaza since 2016. The vehicles were equipped by Elbit Systems with remote driving technology and fitted with driving cameras and a 360-degree observation camera for remote operation. In 2017, the vehicles were armed to be used as remotely controlled weapons.
Gaza 2021
During Israel's 11-day onslaught against Gaza in May 2021, which left 248 people dead and over 1,900 injured, Elbit drones were reportedly operated in coordination with mortars and ground-based missiles to strike dozens of targets miles away from the border. According to reports, Elbit company personnel took part in the operation room of a special drone unit deployed.
According to reports, Elbit drones were in use, and new artificial intelligence capabilities were put into practice as part of a new military unit. The unit operated fleets of drones that inspect and collect intelligence and another that would attack targets based on the collected information. According to an interview with an Israeli military General from June 2021: “We operated day and night in cooperation with unit 9900, Elbit, the Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure … to perfect the system. We carried out more than 30 operations.” The use of these artificial intelligence capabilities led the military to declare the onslaught on Gaza as the world’s “first AI war”.
Iron Beam
Additionally, Elbit is one of the manufacturers of the "Iron Beam" system designed to intercept rockets with a laser beam up to a range of 10 km as a complementary system to the "Iron Dome". The system is manufactured by Elbit together with Rafael, Lockheed Martin and the IMOD R&D Directorate.
Lebanon and Syria
Elbit drones have also been used in Israeli military attacks on sites in Syria and Lebanon.
In February 2024, an Elbit Hermes 450 UAV was intercepted inside Lebanon, more than 20 km north of the border, north of Nabatia. In February 2021, Israeli media outlets reported that Elbit’s Hermes 450 was in use as part of Israel’s attacks on targets in Syria.
West Bank
In July 2022, the Israeli military confirmed the use of attack drones by the Israeli military as part of its operational activities in the occupied West Bank.
On 27 March 2024, Elbit Hermes 450 UAV participated in an airstrike on Jenin Refugee Camp in the occupied West Bank.
Additionally, Elbit’s Skylark UAV is used during military operations and house arrest in the occupied West Bank. The Skylark was used during the Israeli attacks in June and July 2014, where dozens of Palestinian civilians were arbitrarily arrested.
The Wall and Checkpoints
Elbit Systems has been one of the main providers of the electronic detection fence system to the Apartheid Wall in the occupied West Bank. The company established the electronic fence along about 25 km around East Jerusalem, cutting off Jerusalem’s Palestinian residents from the West Bank, as part of a US$ 5 million contract for the IMOD.
Elbit Systems developed, in cooperation with IAI, the Guardium UGV autonomous vehicle for border control. The vehicle is used by the Israeli military in its ongoing activity along the barrier surrounding the besieged Gaza and along sections of the Separation Wall in the occupied West Bank. The unmanned vehicle is equipped with sensors, which enable the identification of obstacles at close and long ranges while transmitting a 3D image to the control room.
Reut System
Furthermore, Elbit Systems is a major supplier of technology and developer of data collection systems for the Israeli authorities.
In September 2017, Elbit Systems won a tender from the Population and Immigration Authority for the operation, support, maintenance, and further development of the Rotem/Reut System for border control. ‘Rotem’ is a registration database deployed at Israel’s international borders, and 'Reut' is a data registration system deployed at Israeli checkpoints monitoring the movement of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza.
According to a response to a Freedom of Information request submitted by Who Profits received in May 2021, the system has an interface with other systems and bodies, among others with the Israeli Civil Administration (ICA) in the West Bank, the Israeli military, the Israel Police and Israel Prison Service. Additionally, Elbit is responsible for maintaining the system's data on the computing infrastructure of the Population and Immigration Authority. In 2020, Elbit secured another contract with the Israeli Ministry of Interior for the upgrade of the Rotem-Reut system.
Roboteam
Elbit Systems partially owned subsidiary, Roboteam, is a developer of Unmanned Ground Vehicles that supplies robots to the Israeli military. Roboteam provided dozens of robots to the Israeli military Infantry Corps.
The company developed the Israeli military’s first battlefield robot, “Roni”, which was tested in the occupied West Bank and on the besieged Gaza border.
In 2014, Roboteam robots were used by the Israeli military during its 50-day attack on Gaza, which left over 2,200 people dead. During the Israeli attack and ground invasion of Gaza, the Israeli military has made increased use of robots in Gaza.
Roboteam also provides the Israeli military with the armed “Probot V2” UGV (unmanned ground vehicle), used by Israeli Engineering Paratroopers.
Elbit Systems and Roboteam jointly developed the "Rook" fully-autonomous robotic unmanned ground vehicle that can perform surveillance and intelligence-gathering missions, and operate as a remote weapon system and loitering munitions.
Additionally, Roboteam developed in collaboration with Smart Shooter company an autonomous combat robot equipped with a firing position with an AI-based sight.
Services to Settlements
In February 2020, Elbit's subsidiary, Incubit Technology Ventures Ltd., signed an agreement with the heads of Ariel University for the joint promotion of ventures in the field of deep technology. Incubit, a technology hub fully-owned by Elbit, and Ariel University will promote joint projects in the fields of entrepreneurship, innovation and commercialization of deep-tech technologies.
Services for Israel Police
In April 2023, Elbit Systems signed an eight-year extension of an agreement with the Ministry of National Security for the provision of firefighting squadron services. According to the agreement, Elbit will continue to provide aerial firefighting services through a fleet of 14 aircraft, all the elements of operational capability, including the ongoing maintenance of the aircraft and their preparation for flying in aerial operational capacity. The squadron will be operated by Elbit Systems in accordance with the needs of the Israel Police in coordination with the National Fire and Rescue Authority.
In 2015, Elbit Systems won a 20-year contract for a helicopter project of the Israel Police for USD 115 million. The contract included the purchase of six new helicopters, their adaptation according to the police requirements and routine maintenance for 20 years.
In 2019, Elbit Systems was contracted by the Israeli Ministry of Interior (MOI) and the Israel Police to supply and maintain blocking systems for the Israeli police for 3 years for NIS 350,000.
Naqab
Ramat Beka Military Industrial Zone in the Naqab
In 2018, Elbit Systems purchased the Israeli government company Israeli Military Industries (IMI) for NIS 1.8 billion. According to the purchase agreement, the amount will be fully refunded to Elbit once IMI’s production facilities are relocated from Ramat Hasharon city in the center of Israel to Ramat Beka in the Naqab region.
The Ramat Beka area has been used by IMI as a weapon testing facility since the 1960s, in total disregard of the presence of the Palestinian Bedouin villages of Abu Qrinat/Umm Mitnan, Wadi Al-mshash, Wadi Al-na’am, Abu Tlul, and Swawin in the area. In 2017, the plan for the establishment of the Industrial Zone Complex in Ramat Beka was approved as part of the relocation of IMI's factories. The planned expansion rests on the mass forced displacement of thousands of the area’s Palestinian residents. Some 2,113 buildings, including 1,200 homes, are slated for demolition, and strict construction and development restrictions in the area will limit the development of the villages. Those who manage to remain will face further environmental, health and life risks.
Elbit’s new complex, in an area of 52,000 dunams, will include 150 buildings and technological centers for the production of armaments and household warheads and will include laboratories and experimental areas. The new factory is designed to include advanced automated production lines, which will greatly increase Elbit’s production capacity of 120 mm tank shells, 155 mm cannon shells, mortar shells and rockets. The factory is expected to be open by the end of 2024.
In March 2020, Elbit Systems signed a 5-year contract worth NIS 60 million with the Baran Group, for the purpose of planning, managing, and supervising the implementation of the project.
For more on development and military projects in the Naqab see Who Profits’ interactive map Tools of Dispossession in the Naqab.
Profiting from repression
Previous research by Who Profits showed how Elbit Systems is increasing its profits by diversifying its product offering, benefitting from the close ties between the Israeli military establishment and other sectors. Who Profits' previous report, For Medicinal Purposes: The Israeli Military Sector and the Coronavirus Crisis, tracked how the company transfers knowledge acquired over years of developing mechanisms of repression for military use, to the medical sector.
Global Activity
Elbit Systems is a global supplier of products and services, including to the militaries of Poland, Romania, Finland, Sweden, UK, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Australia, Spain, Thailand, Switzerland, UAE, Kazakhstan, Greece, Myanmar, Montenegro, India and Rwanda. The company is also a supplier of equipment and technology to police forces, including the Spanish state and the German police and cyber intelligence system to the Dutch National Police.
Ownership
The company is publicly traded on the NASDAQ and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol: ESLT.
Major shareholders include: Michael Federmann (44.05%), Clal Insurance Enterprise Holdings Ltd. (8.61%), 1832 Asset Management LP (8.51%), Phoenix Investments House Ltd. (3.39%), Vanguard Fiduciary Trust Co. (1.84%), Altshuler Shaham Investments House Ltd. (1.24%), KSM Mutual Funds Ltd. (1.18%).
President and CEO: Bezhalel Machlis
Chair of the Board: David Federmann
Subsidiaries
Subsidiaries include: Elbit Systems UK, Elbit Systems Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Elbit Systems of America, LLC., Elbit Systems C4I and Cyber Ltd., Elbit Systems EW and SIGINT – Elisra Ltd., Elbit Systems Electro-Optics Elop Ltd., Elbit Systems Land Ltd. (ELS), IMI Systems Ltd., Incubit Technology Ventures Ltd., Kinetics Ltd., Soltam Systems Ltd., Elbit Systems EW and SIGINT –Elisra Ltd., Elbit Systems BMD and Land EW – Elisra Ltd., Elisra Electronics Industries (1970) Ltd., G-NIUS Unmanned Ground Systems (50%), Robo-Team Defense (30.57%).
Partners
Boeing, Smart Shooter, Microsoft, Leonardo S.p.A, Rafael, Lockheed Martin.
* This section refers to the company's general business partners