Israeli media outlet Globes is reporting that Azerbaijan is the unnamed customer for $235 million worth of precision-guided missiles and rocket artillery systems from Elbit Systems. The Israeli defence company announced on 19 October that the deal for an unspecified ‘European’ customer will be fulfilled over the next three years in a move which underscores the deepening defence partnership between Baku and Tel Aviv.
At the time of publication, Elbit Systems had not yet commented on the customer but had confirmed the deal.
The Azerbaijan-Israel alliance is built on shared strategic interests: Israel gains access to energy resources, while Azerbaijan benefits from advanced military technology. This partnership proved significant during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020, when Israeli-made long-range drones and other precision weapons helped Azerbaijani forces identify and strike Armenian positions.
According to Elbit, the agreement includes EXTRA-MR medium-range rockets, PULS launchers and logistical support, and deliveries and implementation are expected to take place over three years. The EXTRA-MR is designed for precision strikes against targets at ranges of up to 80 kilometres.
Elbit said that the agreement was signed as part of an intergovernmental arrangement between Israel’s Ministry of Defence and the customer country’s defence ministry.
OC MediaElizabeth McBride
The reported missile agreement comes amid renewed momentum in defence cooperation between Israel and Azerbaijan, with Israeli defence companies expanding their presence in the South Caucasus country.
Around a week earlier, Globes reported that Israeli firearms manufacturer Ari Arms had inaugurated a rifle factory in Azerbaijan in the presence of President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva.
The facility, owned by the Azerbaijani government, is expected to become the country’s first production site for Western-style M4 rifles. The plant previously focused on manufacturing Kalashnikov-style firearms.
Production of the M4 rifles is being developed through a joint venture involving Ari Arms, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defence Industry, headed by Minister Vugar Mustafayev, and the Azerbaijani company Iqlim Scientific Production Enterprise.
During the ADEX defence exhibition, Mustafayev presented Aliyev and Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov with the first M4 prototype produced at the facility, explaining the project and its manufacturing process.
Several Israeli defence companies also took part in this year’s ADEX exhibition, including Aeronautics, Plasan, UVision, Bagira and Bird. Ondas, whose Israeli operations have attracted attention, was represented under the leadership of former Mossad chief Dedi Barnea, who serves as the company’s president and chairman.
Elbit Systems, which is Israel's largest private defense corporation, has previously reportedly offered to localize the production of its products in Azerbaijan with local partners.