Israel-UAE weapons contracts worth $1.3 billion exposed in leaks
Leaked internal documents from Israeli defence contractor Elbit Systems reveal extensive negotiations to supply the United Arab Emirates with advanced military equipment. The papers detail a proposed fleet of 45 Hermes 900 drones, valued at roughly $1.3 billion, along with intelligence‑gathering aircraft, electronic‑warfare suites, precision‑guided munitions and air‑defence systems such as Iron Dome batteries and the Maginor laser.
The documents also show an urgent UAE request for six Hermes 900 drones following the Jan 17 2022 Ansarallah attack that hit oil facilities and Abu Dhabi International Airport. By the end of March 2022 Elbit had prepared an offer for two Hermes 900 intelligence systems, each comprising three drones and a full suite of surveillance and EW equipment. The leak was attributed to a hacker group said to have links to Iranian intelligence, and Elbit declined to comment on the commercial details of its customers.
Entities: Benjamin Netanyahu · Elbit Systems · Hermes 900 · Hermes 900 drone · Israel · United Arab Emirates
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The arms cooperation intensified during the recent US‑Israel conflict with Iran. (documents)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The UAE made an urgent request for six Hermes 900 drones after the Jan 17 2022 Ansarallah attack. (documents)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The documents were obtained by a hacker group allegedly linked to Iranian intelligence. (report)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The proposed fleet includes 45 Hermes 900 drones valued at about $1.3 billion. (documents)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The leaked papers mention UAE requests for Iron Dome batteries and the Maginor laser air‑defence system. (documents)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] By late March 2022 Elbit prepared an offer for two Hermes 900 intelligence systems, each comprising three drones and extensive surveillance and EW equipment. (documents)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Leaked Elbit Systems documents show negotiations to supply the UAE with advanced drones, intelligence aircraft, electronic‑warfare systems and precision weapons. (documents)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Elbit Systems declined to comment on the commercial data of its clients regarding the UAE deals. (company statement)