Israel Aerospace Industries - IAI

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Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI) is Israel's second-largest defense company. It manufactures surveillance and combat drones, as well as other weapon systems. The company owns several complexes and plants across Israel, including facilities in the West Bank and the Golan Heights, It also maintains facilities and branch offices outside Israel in countries such as the United States, Germany, Australia, and India. IAI plays a direct role in supplying the Israeli military. The company manufactures the Heron drone family and its advanced variant, the Heron TP (Eitan). These drones form the backbone of continuous surveillance, intelligence gathering, and airstrikes in the region. In official statements to investors cited by watchdog reports, the company’s CEO confirmed that Heron drones have played a critical role in operations within the Gaza Strip. The company is also tasked with the maintenance, upgrading, and retrofitting of the Israeli Air Force's fighter jet fleets (including F-15, F-16, and F-35 aircraft, in integration with American defense firms). Additionally, IAI manufactures precision guidance systems for bombs and missiles, equipping forces with the capability to execute sustained strikes. Finally, the company supplies ground forces with tactical offensive vehicles, such as the Zibar and its militarized variants, the Z-MAG and ZD. These are deployed by specialized units in ground operations within the Gaza Strip and surrounding areas. The company's MATA helicopter testing facility is located at the Atarot Airport in the occupied West Bank. The company also operates a factory producing seats for military and commercial aircraft in the occupied Golan Heights. Its wholly owned subsidiary, ELTA Systems, is located in Ashdod and specializes in radars and defense electronics. ELTA North America, was one of six companies that built prototypes for a proposed wall on the U.S.–Mexico border in San Diego, California, in 2017.