Israeli missiles, spy gear and drones in high demand at air show amid war

Israel's defense industry was out in force at the Singapore Airshow this week, making its return after being largely absent from the Dubai air show in November in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war, a subject that was off limits at the Asia summit.

The Israeli ministry of defence and 11 of its defence contractors attended Asia's largest aerospace and defence gathering, including Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Elbit Systems.

Rafael's Iron Dome.

IAI, Rafael, Elbit and the defence ministry all declined to comment on the war in Gaza, including the performance of their own weapons.

"We don't discuss weapons," Ziv Avni, vice president of business development at Elbit, told Reuters at the unveiling of its latest aerial drone, which a placard said could carry "loitering munitions for covert and precise airstrikes".

The war wasn't brought up by delegates at the Singapore event and didn't dampen appetite for Israel's missiles, spy gear and aerial drones, two Israeli industry officials at the show told Reuters, asking not to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Groups of men in military uniforms, mostly from Asian countries, could regularly be seen shuffling into the booths of Israeli defence companies for conversations.

Unauthorised public assemblies and protests over political situations in other countries are banned in Singapore. But there was some criticism online about Israeli defence firms at the air show.

IAI, Rafael and the Israeli defence ministry did not respond to requests for comment about the online criticism.

Meanwhile, Israel's military exports to India, its largest defence buyer, have not been affected by the war in Gaza, an Indian source and an Israeli source aware of the details said.

India has imported military hardware worth $2.9 billion from Israel over the last decade, including radars, surveillance and combat drones, and missiles.

Israel's war needs have not conflicted with its defence supplies to India, the Israeli source and the senior Indian military official said.

Israel's operations have created a growing need for ammunition, but not radars of the type it is exporting to India, the Israeli source said.

"We made sure our (military) exports to India are not impacted," he said.

The Indian official said Israel had ensured a steady supply of weapons bought by New Delhi, which also include drone components.

Both sources spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject.

India's foreign ministry and the Israeli embassy in New Delhi did not respond to requests for comment.

India is the world's largest arms importer, buying $37 billion worth between 2012 and 2022, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Israel is the fourth largest supplier of military hardware to India, which has bought weapons worth $21.8 billion from Russia, $5.2 billion from France and $4.5 billion from America in the last decade.

India has been trying to reduce its dependence on Russian weapons by diversifying purchases to countries such as France and Israel, and boosting its nascent domestic arms manufacturing industry.