Defense News reports that Israel arms exports set two records in 2006; the value of new deals topped $4.8 billion, and included $1.0 billion of sales to the United States. Israel garnered more than 15% of the total world market and was fourth among defense suppliers after the United States, Russia and France.
The Year-end data by the Ministry of Defense's (MoD's) SIBAT Defense Export and Defense Cooperation Organization shows new agreements valued at an all-time high of $4.86 billion, nearly $900 million more than the previous 2002 peak of $4.02 billion.
The top three buyers of Israeli defense goods and services were India, with 2006 purchases of $1.3 billion; the United States, $1.1 billion; and Europe, $932 million.
The record year gave Israel command of close to 15 % of global market share, ranking the country fourth among defense suppliers behind the United States, Russia and France. In 2005, the United States signed $12.75 billio.n in new agreements, while France and Russia inked $7.9 billion and $7.4 billion, respectively