Israel and Middle Eastern allies are reportedly working to develop a joint defense system to shield their territories against Iranian missiles and drones.
The joint airborne defense agreement comes in the wake of normalization agreements between Israel and Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
The countries have also recently developed joint systems for detecting missiles and drone threats, The Times of Israel reported, citing officials from Israel’s air force.
A summit was held in Israel last week with envoys from the US, Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, and the UAE to deepen security coordination between the countries’ air forces.
Israeli Air Defense
Israel possesses a network of sophisticated air defense systems, including the Iron Dome, the Green Pine radar system, and the Arrow system, for protection against ballistic missiles.
The UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco have sought the three systems, as they currently cooperate with Israel on security operations, intelligence, and air force training.
Germany is also considering the purchase of an Israeli-made anti-missile defense system because of heightened security concerns due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Iranian Threats
The defense pact comes after recent incidents involving Iranian missiles and drones.
Last week, Israeli officials claimed that two drones, reportedly launched from Iran and intercepted by the US-led coalition in Iraq last month, were aimed at Israel.