The Israel Defense Ministry’s national pavilion was inaugurated on Monday at the 2023 Paris Air Show in France together with 17 Israeli defense industries.

The ceremony was attended by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Director of SIBAT, Brig. Gen. (Res.) Yair Kulas, Deputy Director General and Head of the Directorate of Production and Procurement, Zeev Landau, and heads of Israeli defense companies.

“Israel's ability to face threats is determined by the dedicated individuals who tirelessly work to develop state-of-the-art technology. This ongoing and highly challenging battle of intellect mostly takes place behind the scenes,” Gallant said during the ceremony, noting that “Israel surpasses its adversaries in both defensive and offensive capabilities.”

“Iran is closer than ever to gaining military-nuclear capabilities, and it is conducting a war of attrition against us by engaging in proxy terrorism. This clear strategy aims to destabilize not only the region but also the world. In response to Iran's efforts, the Israeli defense establishment is working to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power, utilizing all the resources at our disposal,” the minister added. 

The Paris Air Show comes following a record-breaking year for Israeli defense exports, which reached an unprecedented peak amounting to over $12.5 billion dollars in 2022, compared to $11.3 billion in 2021. Israeli defense exports have doubled in less than a decade and increased by 50 percent in 3 years.

“Our goal is to spearhead innovative capabilities in energy weapons, space technology and satellites, defense cyber capabilities, and AI technology for defense applications. During this exhibition, the Minister of Defense and I will engage in discussions with our counterparts including defense ministers, delegations, and leaders of prominent defense industries,” said Director General of the Israel Ministry of Defense, Maj.-Gen. (Res.) Eyal Zamir. 

Occurring biennially, this year's event will witness the participation of approximately 150,000 professionals and over 2,500 defense industries. Israeli defense industries participating in the national pavilion include: Aeronautics, Ashot Ashkelon Industries, Bet Shemesh Engines, Bird Aerosystems, Bluebird Aero Systems, Copterpix, Creomagic, CTI-INTL Solutions, Elbit Systems, Enercon Technologies, Israel Aerospace Industries, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, SpearUAV, Steadicopter, Thermal Beacon, Tomer – A Government Owned Company, and UVISION Air.