Israel’s IAI seeking to increase US ties on quantum, hypersonics

TEL AVIV — Israel aerospace industries (IAI) is working to increase cooperation with US defense-related institutions, as it seeks to develop future-looking technologies, a top company executive told Breaking Defense in a recent interview.

State-owned IAI is the largest Israeli defense company, and tightening relations with US organizations to develop next-gen technology is part of an overall business strategy to try and develop a suite of future-focused weapons, according to Eytan Eshel, IAI’s executive vice president for R&D, technology and innovation. Before joining the defense industry, Eshel served as the head of the R&D directorate in the Israeli ministry of defense.

“As part of this effort, we look at new very advanced technologies that are based in a great extent on the operational requirements of the Israeli defense forces. I can say that every day we achieve a technological breakthrough.”

Israeli defense sources said that government-to-government discussions about technology cooperation has included quantum computing in combat systems, kinetic kill ballistic intercept systems, defense against hypersonic weapons, robotics and the use of very advanced loitering weapon systems from the small back carried systems to the heavy long endurance ones.

One of these sources added there is a growing number of US military technical delegations visiting Israeli organizations involved in the development of defense technologies and defense industries.

Under the close supervision of a company security officer, Eshel was able to point to some additional technologies that are being developed by IAI that the company believes will be of interest to the US.

“The emerging technologies are in most cases highly classified, but I can mention that we are working on using quantum computing to develop the next combat systems,” Eshel offered when asked about ties to the US. “This capability is needed in modern combat and we are now working with our American partners to harness this technology to make the next generations of war tools.”

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“They know that our systems are being tested in real combat conditions immediately after they are introduced into service. This is a very attractive advantage as the systems are being upgraded as they are being used by the different branches of the IDF,” Eshel said. (However, he refused to identify by name what US organizations he claimed are showing interest in IAI’s quantum technologies.)

Another technology in development with the US is a combined sensor to detect fire sources in combat, Eshel said. That “combines electro-optical and acoustic sensors and the results at this stage are excellent.” (He declined to go into further details on those results; as with the quantum claims, Breaking Defense could not independently verify ongoing agreements on technology development.)

Internally, IAI is focused on taking lessons learned from recent combat scenarios, such as Ukraine and the ongoing conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

In the war over the Nagorno-Karabakh disputed region, some of IAI’s most advanced weapon systems were used by the Azeris. IAI’s Harop heavy loitering weapon system performed notably well, and based on this system’s performance in this war and in other combat situations, IAI is now developing a next-generation of loitering weapon systems in the light- and heavy-classes.

“We are developing loitering weapon systems that will give ground forces capabilities that now they don’t have. We are talking [about] real technology breakthroughs that will affect the way ground forces fight,” Eshel said.

He also noted the company is working on hypersonic technologies but declined to give more details. Hypersonic weapons, particularly from Iran, are viewed as a major threat going forward inside Jerusalem. Of note, Danny Yatom, a former chief of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, claimed recently that the Iranian military site in Isfahan that was attacked by armed drones was developing hypersonic weapons.

Creating training solutions for soldiers with artificial intelligence is another line of effort. “This will add another advantage to the simulated training process,” Eshel said. “The training soldiers will become more involved in the simulation and that will enhance the efficiency of the simulation systems.”

He also noted that the company is working on AI solutions for the IDF’s next-gen Carmel fighting vehicle. The goal there, he said, is to minimize human involvement in the operation.

And the company is also focusing more on space assets going forward, Eshel said. While the company already produces advanced optical and SAR satellites and launchers, there are other efforts underway, including some development of space systems that he said was done under cooperation with NASA.

Broader Focus On America

Roughly 75% of IAI’s sales come from outside Israel, but the firm only appointed a vice president in charge of the US market in early 2022.

Ron Tryfus, IAI’s senior vice president of future growth engines and asia pacific business, told Breaking Defense that the company’s Stark subsidiary is a good example of the “company’s strategy to become a more international player in the international defense market. This company has increased its activity and now we are planning to establish more local companies in the US to allow a greater variety of activity.”

Tryfus said that IAI will offer the American market options that are produced by IAI directly or by joint ventures of Israeli and American companies.

“The commercial activity is directly connected to our identification of the next growth engines that are optional for a diversified company like IAI,” he said. “The Arrow ballistic missile interceptor is a good example. The development was funded jointly by the US and Israel and parts of the systems are being manufactured by US companies.”

Another example he gave is the company’s Blue Spear system. A precision weapon designed or use against moving or stationary targets at sea, the company claims a range of 290km. in 2020, IAI signed a joint venture agreement with ST engineering from Singapore to manufacture and market the missile.

Tryfus added that the war in Ukraine increased the interest in some systems developed by IAI, and that is driving greater conversations about joint ventures around the globe. However, there is always a tricky issue to navigate when it comes to Israeli=developed technologies and what tech can and cannot be transferred.