JERUSALEM, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli Defense Ministry said Tuesday it has signed a deal worth more than 570 million shekels (about 183 million U.S. dollars) with the country's defense electronics company Elbit Systems to purchase air munitions.
The ministry's Director General Amir Baram said in a statement that the deal aims to replenish stockpiles and strengthen the Israeli military's capabilities over the coming years.
Israel has been engaged in what officials describe as fighting on multiple fronts over the past two years, including in Gaza, along its northern borders with Lebanon and Syria, as well as with Iran and Yemen.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said expanding local defense production is a "top national and security interest," citing the need to ensure supply continuity and long-term military readiness.
Elbit Systems, Israel's major defense contractor, said it would supply a range of precision air munitions produced domestically. ■
