Advanced Israeli defense systems have been supplied to Qatar and Saudi Arabia through a series of defense contracts and subcontracting arrangements, according to documents, official procurement records and photographs reported by Haaretz. The disclosures shed new light on the depth of security cooperation between Israel and two Gulf states that do not maintain official diplomatic relations with Jerusalem, revealing that sophisticated Israeli technology has been integrated into aircraft used by Qatar’s ruling family and advanced fighter jets operated by both countries.
The findings emerge as political attention in Israel remains focused on the so-called Qatargate affair, an investigation examining alleged business connections between Qatar and individuals close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While addressing the controversy, Netanyahu described Qatar as “a complicated country,” a characterization that reflects the contrasting relationship between the two states. Although he has at times supported measures identifying Qatar as a state sponsor of terrorism and authorized military actions targeting senior Hamas figures in Doha, the newly revealed defense transactions indicate that security cooperation has continued behind the scenes.
According to Haaretz, one of the most significant examples involves aircraft operated by Qatar’s royal fleet. Publicly available photographs show that three aircraft, including two Boeing 747s and an Airbus A340-500 used by Qatar’s emir and other senior officials, were equipped with Elbit Systems’ C-MUSIC airborne missile defense system between 2020 and 2022 while undergoing maintenance in Basel. The installations include the aircraft used by Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani during official overseas travel, including a visit to Tehran last year.
The C-MUSIC system, known in Israel as Magen Rakia, is designed to detect incoming heat-seeking surface-to-air missiles and disrupt their guidance systems using directed infrared countermeasures. Installed beneath the rear section of an aircraft, the technology is intended to defend against portable shoulder-fired missile threats, commonly known as MANPADS. The system was originally developed following the attempted downing of an Israeli passenger aircraft departing Mombasa, Kenya, in 2002, when two shoulder-launched missiles were fired at an Arkia airliner.
Over the years, Elbit Systems has deployed variants of the MUSIC family of airborne defense systems on civilian and government aircraft operated by Israeli airlines, Israel’s Wing of Zion state aircraft, the French presidential fleet and numerous international military operators. Although the financial value of the Qatar installation has not been disclosed, comparable contracts provide an indication of the scale involved. In recent years, Elbit signed agreements worth hundreds of millions of dollars to install similar protection systems on German, Dutch and Austrian military transport aircraft, as well as NATO-operated aerial refueling aircraft.
The report also details Israeli participation in Qatar’s advanced F-15QA “Ababil” fighter jet program. Boeing secured the multibillion-dollar contract to manufacture the aircraft for the Qatari Air Force in 2017, with all 36 aircraft delivered by 2023. According to U.S. Defense Department procurement records cited by Haaretz, Israeli companies received subcontract awards valued at between $150 million and $250 million to provide advanced components and specialized systems for the fighter fleet.
Among the participating companies were Elbit America and Cyclone, an Israeli manufacturer specializing in aircraft structural components. Another major contributor was Collins Elbit Vision Systems, a joint venture between Elbit and RTX, which supplied the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System, or JHMCS. The helmet enables pilots to project flight data directly onto the visor, allowing them to identify targets and deploy weapons without diverting their attention from the battlefield. Elbit also supplied AN/AVS-9 night-vision goggles as part of the aircraft program.
Additional Israeli companies were also involved through specialized aviation and engineering contracts. Israel Aerospace Industries contributed through its aviation division, which focuses on avionics integration and aircraft assemblies, while TAT Technologies and Beth-El Industries participated in supplying aviation-related systems and environmental control equipment for the program.
The disclosures build on earlier reporting concerning Israeli defense exports to Qatar. Last year, Maariv reported that Netanyahu had approved defense transactions with Qatar valued at more than $100 million. Earlier investigations by Haaretz and its business publication TheMarker revealed that a company associated with former senior Mossad officials and retired Israel Defense Forces Major General Yoav (Poli) Mordechai represented Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Elbit Systems during negotiations with Qatar and also explored potential cooperation involving Israel Aerospace Industries.
According to subsequent reporting by Calcalist, Mordechai and his business partner received hundreds of thousands of dollars in brokerage fees beginning in 2018 from transactions involving Elbit systems designed to protect aircraft operated by Qatar’s ruling family. Those reports have attracted renewed attention as investigators continue examining alleged connections between Qatari interests and individuals close to Netanyahu.
The documents reviewed by Haaretz also indicate that Saudi Arabia has become an indirect customer for Israeli defense technology through its long-running procurement relationship with Boeing. Although Riyadh and Jerusalem have no formal diplomatic ties, Saudi Arabia’s acquisition of advanced F-15SA fighter aircraft has included Israeli-developed equipment supplied through subcontracting arrangements.
U.S. Defense Department records referenced in the report show that the Saudi procurement included 462 Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems and an equal number of AN/AVS-9 night-vision goggles, matching the equipment supplied for Qatar’s F-15 fleet. Images published online depicting Royal Saudi Air Force pilots operating F-15SA aircraft show the advanced combat helmets in active service.
Each Collins Elbit JHMCS helmet is estimated to cost approximately $200,000, placing the value of Saudi helmet sales alone at roughly $100 million. Qatar separately acquired 160 of the same helmet systems under a contract valued at approximately $35 million.
Together, the contracts, procurement documents and photographic evidence compiled by Haaretz provide an extensive picture of discreet defense cooperation involving Israeli military technology, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. While the Gulf states continue to lack formal diplomatic relations with Israel, the reported transactions demonstrate that advanced defense systems, aviation equipment and protective technologies have reached both countries through commercial agreements and international defense supply chains, underscoring the continuing significance of these previously undisclosed security links.
