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Israel is the world\'s 8-10th largest arms exporter, ~$13B/year in 2023, ~$15B+ in 2024. Three primary state-owned/state-influenced firms: IAI (Israel Aerospace Industries), Rafael (advanced weapons), Elbit (private, electronics). Defense overlaps tech: many startups commercialize ex-IDF tech. Drones, anti-missile systems (Iron Dome / Arrow / David\'s Sling), surveillance, defining Israeli specialties.
Cultural note, Israeli defense companies recruit heavily from IDF tech units. The defining career path: 8200 → master\'s degree → Rafael / Elbit / IAI / startup. Major defense exits: NSO Group (Pegasus), Cellebrite. The phrase "תַּעֲשִׂיָּה בִּטְחוֹנִית" is treated as one of the strategic pillars of the country alongside high-tech and academia.
Major Defense Firms
Defense Products & Systems
Cyber Defense
Defense Trade & Politics
Career Pathways
Iron Dome: How It Works (Educational)
A simplified Hebrew explainer of how Iron Dome (כִּפַּת בַּרְזֶל) works. Operational since 2011. ~90% interception rate. Defining Israeli defense product of the 21st century.
Defense-Tech Job Interview Hebrew
Sample interview phrases for an engineer applying to Rafael or Elbit. Notice the heavy emphasis on military service background.