Israel orders $183 million in air-to-ground bombs from Elbit
The agreement aims to replenish inventories and strengthen the IDF’s readiness for what officials describe as a challenging security decade.
The Defense Ministry’s shopping list for Elbit Systems continues to grow, as the IDF moves to expand its ammunition stockpile following the October 7 war, which lasted nearly two years. The defense company, controlled by Micky Federmann and led by CEO Bezhalel Machlis, will supply the IDF with air-to-ground bombs worth more than $183 million over the coming years.
The bombs that Elbit will supply are “general-purpose” munitions, considered basic weapons for air strikes. Among them are MK-84 bombs, each weighing about 900 kilograms. These are “dumb bombs” that require the attachment of dedicated guidance kits, which convert them into precision-guided munitions.
As part of the deal, the Defense Ministry required Elbit to develop independent domestic manufacturing capabilities for bombs of this type. This demand reflects lessons learned from restrictions imposed by former U.S. President Joe Biden on the supply of such munitions to Israel during the fighting in Gaza, amid concerns that their use could endanger civilians.
The purchase of the new bombs, along with the multi-year delivery framework, is intended to expand Elbit’s production base in Israel. This expansion is designed to support the IDF’s force-building efforts during the war and to improve readiness for future conflicts.
Defense Ministry Director General Amir Baram said the deal is part of a broader series of procurement agreements with Israel’s defense industries, under the ministry’s multi-year acquisition plans and efforts to replenish depleted stockpiles. He noted that Elbit has already supplied the IDF with a wide range of munitions, many of them precision weapons, which proved effective in real time and made a significant contribution to Israel’s air superiority across multiple theaters during the war.
This is the second time in the past six months that the Defense Ministry has purchased aerial munitions from Elbit. Last August, the ministry placed two separate orders totaling NIS 900 million. That same framework agreement also included the procurement of Elbit’s advanced Rampage missiles, which enable precise strikes on targets from long distances, beyond the range of enemy air defense systems.
According to foreign reports, the Israeli Air Force used Rampage missiles last June during the 12-day war with Iran.
