Azerbaijan is reportedly the unnamed European customer behind a $235 million defence contract awarded to Israeli defence giant Elbit Systems, according to Israeli media outlet Globes.
The deal, announced on October 19, covers precision-guided rockets, artillery launchers and logistical support, with deliveries expected over the next three years.
Elbit Systems has not publicly identified the customer. However, the reported link to Azerbaijan highlights the growing defence partnership between Baku and Tel Aviv.
According to Elbit Systems, the contract includes EXTRA-MR medium-range rockets, PULS multiple rocket launchers and associated logistical support. The EXTRA-MR rocket is designed to strike targets at ranges of up to 80 kilometres.
The agreement was signed under an intergovernmental arrangement involving Israel’s Ministry of Defence and the customer country’s defence ministry.
Israel and Azerbaijan have developed close strategic ties, driven partly by Azerbaijan’s energy resources and Israel’s supply of advanced military technology. Israeli-made drones and precision weapons played a significant role in Azerbaijan’s military operations during the 2020 Second Nagorno-Karabakh War.
The reported missile deal comes amid a broader expansion of Israeli defence industry activities in Azerbaijan. Earlier in October, Globes reported that Israeli firearms manufacturer Ari Arms had inaugurated a rifle factory in Azerbaijan, attended by President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva.
If confirmed, the latest contract would represent another significant step in strengthening defence-industrial cooperation between Israel and Azerbaijan.
