IAI seeks to lean on technology gains to boost profile in Asia-Pacific

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) seeks to build on its investments in technologies to expand in the Asia-Pacific, a spokesperson for the company has told Janes.

Speaking from the Singapore Airshow, which concluded on 18 February, the spokesperson said IAI is looking to leverage its various offices across the Asia-Pacific, including those in South Korea and Singapore, to be “closer to its partners and customers, provide round-the-clock support, and establish new partnerships with the local defence ecosystem”.

There is widening scope in the region for IAI's technologies, which are “combat-proven and operational”, the spokesperson added.

IAI invests more than USD1 billion annually in research and development (R&D) to provide customers with an integrated “packaged solution” that helps detect, identify, and react simultaneously to potential threats, said the spokesperson.

The company is also “integrative with other companies' systems across the defence industry, reflective in the many partnerships IAI has with the global defence ecosystem”, the spokesperson added.

Most recently, IAI and South Korea's Hanwha Systems signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to commercialise naval combat suites globally, with a focus on the Asia-Pacific market. Under the agreement, announced on 14 February, IAI will provide the weapons and sensors, while Hanwha Systems will supply and integrate the combat management systems.

In addition, towards the end of 2021, IAI entered into several partnerships, such as an agreement with Emirati defence conglomerate Edge at the Dubai Airshow, covering unmanned surface vessels (USVs) and electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) system maintenance, and a contract with the Estonian Defence Forces to supply its Blue Spear surface-to-surface missile.