The rising demand from allied nations is keeping Israel’s production lines running and driving further innovation.By Yakkov Lappin, JNSGermany recently finalized a major deal to procure advanced Spike anti-tank missiles made by Israeli defense company Rafael, in a move that Washington, D.C.-based defense analysts say highlights a continental trend of European nations urgently arming themselves with combat-proven Israeli technology as they prepare for a potential conflict with a resurgent Russia.According to a report in the Hebrew-daily Calcalist on Oct. 21, the Spike missile deal is valued at approximately 2 billion euros.The missiles are reportedly intended for German infantry and armored infantry units, replacing older systems and filling capability gaps exposed by the war in Ukraine.The deal will be implemented through EuroSpike, a joint venture owned by Rafael and German defense firms Rheinmetall and Diehl Defense.This procurement is the latest in a series of major purchases of Israeli arms by European nations, who are in a race to rebuild their own defense industrial bases and build capabilities, as they also continue to supply Ukraine with arms.Bradley Bowman, senior director at the Center on Military and Political Power at the Washington, D.C.-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told JNS that these major export agreements are also a critical component of Israel’s own national security strategy.“As with the United States, defense exports can help Israel further strengthen its defense production capacity, supply network, and innovation enterprise so that they are world class, can be maintained when domestic demand declines once stockpiles are filled, and still there when domestic demand returns,” said Bowman, who served as a national security adviser to members of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees.The growing demand from allied nations ensures that Israel’s production lines remain open, that the supply network is stress-tested and that companies like Rafael, Elbit and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) are constantly innovating.Israel has also massively increased its own domestic arms production to avoid over-dependence on external suppliers, particularly the United States.In February, the Israeli Defense Ministry announced that it had invested over 150 billion shekels ($46.4 billion) through domestic “blue and white procurement,” adding that this significantly strengthened the country’s “defense industrial base” and reduced “external dependencies.”Ryan Brobst, deputy director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the FDD, told JNS that the German deal is part of a clear and growing trend since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and that the specific weapon system chosen is highly significant.“Following Putin’s 2022 re-invasion of Ukraine, many European countries, including the United Kingdom, Czechia, Finland, Poland, Denmark and Estonia, increased their arms purchases from Israel, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute,” said Brobst.“Germany’s decision to purchase the Spike missile is noteworthy as it has greater range than many other anti-tank missiles—an important feature when small drones have pushed many weapons systems back from the frontlines. As Europe works to bolster its defenses, purchasing weapons systems from likeminded allies and partners is a wise interim step as the continent works to build up its own defense industrial base,” he added.The Spike is a family of electro-optical (camera-guided) missiles. According to Rafael, the system is a “fire-and-forget” multi-purpose missile with a high-hit probability against stationary and moving targets.Key variants include the Spike LR2, with a range of 5.5 km, and the Spike ER2, which can strike targets up to 16 km away. The Spike family is used in 45 nations around the world.On June 4, the Israel Defense Ministry announced that the country had set a new all-time record for defense exports in 2024, reaching a total of over $14.7 billion. This was the fourth consecutive record-breaking year for Israeli defense exports.The 2024 data reveals a dramatic shift in demand, with missile, rocket and air defense systems accounting for 48% of all sales.Europe formed the largest market for Israeli defense export customers, accounting for 54% of all Israeli defense exports, a massive increase from 35% in 2023.In November 2023, Germany and Israel signed a historic $3.5 billion agreement for the Arrow 3 missile defense system. This remains Israel’s largest-ever defense deal.The system, produced by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), intercepts ballistic missiles in space, and was a critical factor in Israel’s victory against Iran in June 2025, when Tehran fired heavy volleys of missiles at Israeli cities and strategic sites.Germany is not alone in its search for advanced Israeli air defense. In 2023, Rafael’s David’s Sling system was approved for sale to Finland.The deal, valued at approximately 317 million euros, provides Finland with one of the world’s most advanced systems for intercepting threats ranging from cruise missiles and drones to advanced ballistic missiles.Russia, for its part, has spent decades exporting arms to Middle Eastern countries other than Israel, and was the sole supplier for Iran between 2020 to 2024, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.Iran has become a critical supplier of drone and missile capabilities to Russia for use against Ukraine.The post ‘Many European countries increasing arms purchases from Israel’ appeared first on World Israel News.