Israeli Defense Firms Target Massive U.S. Market at Major Trade Show

By איתם אלמדון

Translated & summarized from Mako by baba

CenterCharged tone

Hebrew · 2 newsrooms covering

More than 20 Israeli defense companies exhibited new technologies at the AUSA 2026 land warfare exhibition in Washington D.C., seeking a share of the U.S. defense budget. This follows a record $19.2 billion in Israeli defense exports in 2025. Protests against Israeli actions in Gaza briefly disrupted a panel attended by U.S. Innovations on display included systems for intercepting hypersonic missiles and drones, and armed unmanned aerial vehicles.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Over 20 Israeli defense companies showcased new technologies at the AUSA 2026 exhibition in Washington D.C.
Israeli defense exports reached a record $19.2 billion in 2025, with companies now targeting the U.S. market.
Protests against Israeli policy in Gaza briefly interrupted a panel with U.S.
New Israeli systems on display included hypersonic missile interceptors and armed drones.
Israel was one of only nine countries to host a national pavilion at the major defense trade show.

Israeli Defense Firms Target Massive U.S. Market at Major Trade Show — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

Over 20 Israeli defense companies showcased new technologies at the largest land warfare exhibition in North America, AUSA 2026 in Washington D.C., aiming to secure contracts from the U.S. defense budget, projected to reach $1.5 trillion in 2027. This follows a record year for Israeli defense exports, which reached $19.2 billion in 2025. Israel was one of only nine countries to host a national pavilion at the prestigious event, alongside Norway, Denmark, South Korea, Australia, Canada, Germany, France, and Greece. Unlike concerns about boycotts at European trade shows, Israeli representatives received a welcoming reception in Washington.

However, protests against Israeli policies in Gaza occurred outside and briefly disrupted the exhibition. Six demonstrators interrupted a panel featuring U.S. You are a Nazi. See you in The Hague.

The Israeli presence, led by the Ministry of Defense's Sibat agency, included 19 companies in the national pavilion, alongside independent exhibits from major firms like Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Rafael, and Elbit Systems. The exhibition is expected to draw around 40,000 attendees, including military representatives and procurement officials. Commander of the Ground Forces, Maj. Gen. Nadav Lotan, was present to highlight the operational experience of Israeli systems to foreign procurement officials.

Among the notable innovations displayed were Rafael's Sky Sonic system for intercepting hypersonic missiles, IAI's HawkGuard active defense system against attack drones, and IAI's FIRE STORM 250, a remotely controlled unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with a machine gun. Elbit Systems presented an upgraded version of its SkyStriker loitering munition and advanced soldier vision systems. Other technologies included drone interception nets, GPS jamming countermeasures, and AI-powered thermal imaging systems.

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