Reports Reveal Israel Sold Advanced Defense Equipment to Qatar and Saudi Arabia
Israeli media have reported that Israeli companies Elbit Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) have sold missile defense equipment and advanced fighter jet components to Qatar and Saudi Arabia in deals valued at hundreds of millions of dollars. These collaborations reportedly occurred covertly despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations between Israel and the two Arab countries.
According to Haaretz newspaper, Qatar has equipped some of its royal fleet aircraft with Elbit’s C-MUSIC system to protect senior officials. Known in Israel as “Iron Fist,” this system can detect heat-seeking missiles and disrupt their targeting, and is particularly effective against shoulder-launched missiles. It is reported that these systems were installed between 2020 and 2022 during major overhauls of the aircraft in Basel, Switzerland.
Published images of three Qatari planes—two Boeing 747s and one Airbus A340-500—show the system integrated beneath their fuselages. Qatar’s royal fleet consists of 11 aircraft used for official travel by the Emir and Prime Minister.
In another aspect of this collaboration, Boeing, under a multi-billion-dollar contract to sell F-15 „Ababil“ fighter jets to Qatar, has involved Elbit-affiliated companies. Qatar received 36 of these jets by 2023, with Israeli companies supplying parts and systems valued between $150 million and $250 million under subcontract agreements.
Among the supplied equipment is the advanced Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS), which displays flight information on the pilot’s visor and enables faster targeting. Night vision goggles, the AN/AVS-9, were also provided as part of Qatar’s F-15 program.
Haaretz further reported that Saudi Arabia also indirectly uses products from Israeli defense firms. The U.S. Department of Defense announced that Washington’s contract with Riyadh included the delivery of 462 JHMCS helmets and 462 night vision goggles. Social media images have shown Saudi pilots using these helmets.
Estimates suggest the sale of advanced helmets to Saudi Arabia was worth about $100 million, while Qatar purchased 160 helmets of the same type in a separate deal valued at $35 million. Officials from Qatar and Saudi Arabia have not publicly commented on these reports.
