Germany inks $408M arms deal with Israel despite pledge to curb exports over Gaza
Though the new deal involves imports rather than exports, it has raised questions about the broader consistency of Germany’s defense policy, as Berlin has sought to distance itself from Israel’s actions during the Gaza war.
Despite recently announcing an embargo on weapons sales to Israel that could be used in Gaza, Germany has signed a new deal worth more than 350 million euros ($408 million) with Israeli defense company Rafael.
The new agreement comes after Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed on Aug. 8 that offensive weapons would not be sold to Israel due to the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave.
What happened: Israeli defense company Rafael said on Tuesday that it would supply the German Air Force with advanced systems for its aircraft. The deal, approved by the German parliament, includes 90 Litening 5 targeting pods for the Bundeswehr’s Eurofighter Typhoon fleet, bolstering the precision strike and reconnaissance capabilities of the air force.
The Litening 5 pod’s selection of sensors includes mid-wave and short-wave infrared, high-resolution color imaging and dual-wavelength laser designation, with an optional synthetic aperture radar for wide-area, all-weather imaging, according to Rafael. At long range, the systems can detect and identify targets, including smaller aircraft like unmanned aerial vehicles, under varied atmospheric conditions.
