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Iron beam laser system developed in Israel. (Israel Ministry of Defense)
IDEX 2023 — Israeli defense giant Rafael announced today that it has opened a new office in the United Arab Emirates, in what the company called a “historic moment”.
“We are encouraged by another concrete step in strengthening Rafael’s relationship with the UAE,” Rafael President and CEO Yoav Har-Even said in a statement. “We can now say that we have built a bridge to the United Arab Emirates and is excited to continue building on the relationships we have built so far.”
The company said the new office will help Rafael “explore opportunities in the region, leverage its culture of collaboration, excellence and innovation, and build relationships with governments, customers and defense industry leaders.”
The announcement came days before the event IDEX Defense Expo In Abu Dhabi, government representatives and defense companies from around the world are expected. (Breaking Defense will have a field reporting group during next week’s conference.)
Rafael said it plans to use IDEX to demonstrate “a range of defense solutions,” including its Iron Beam high-energy laser weapon designed to neutralize threats ranging from drones to mortars and missiles. It will also preview the company’s focus on its “new space product portfolio,” such as its LITESAT electro-optical Earth observation system “microsatellites.”
related: Israel’s laser defense system ‘Iron Beam’ could be ready in 2-3 years
Israel and some Gulf countries, especially the UAE, have since made significant progress in defense cooperation between Israel and some Gulf countries, especially the UAE, which was once unthinkable for historical rivals. abraham agreement Signed in 2020.break the defense Report In October, the UAE deployed the Israeli Barak air defense system for the first time, and last month the Emirates Defense Group Announce Investments in Israel’s unmanned air traffic management system, to name a few.
“It would be an understatement to say that the reality in the Gulf has changed dramatically,” a senior Israeli defense analyst who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive topic told Breaking Defense last March. “What seemed like science fiction a few months ago is now on the table.”
In today’s statement, Rafael said that this “new era” of relations with the UAE really began at the 2021 Dubai Airshow and that the company “simply continues to build and deepen our relationship while maintaining a shared vision – edge and find State-of-the-art solutions to combat threats [affect] the area. “
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