Israel Defense Force purchases will soon account for only 35 percent of the income of Israel’s military industries, which are rapidly expanding their exports worldwide, Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin told reporters here Monday.
Rabin, in Paris for official talks and to see the Air Show at Le Bourget, conferred with Prime Minister Michel Rocard Monday and was to meet Tuesday with Defense Minister Jean-Pierre Chevenement.
He met here Sunday with Soviet air force officers and engineers and spent over an hour with Nikolai Mikoyan, designer of the MIG-29.
According to Rabin, Israel’s military industry “must increase its exports if it is to survive.”
By the defense minister’s own account, it seems to be doing well.
He said that six years ago, Israel exported only $80 million worth of military equipment to the United States. In 1988, it had contracts for $480 million worth, and its U.S. exports will reach the half billion dollar mark next year.
Israel has a favorable balance of weapons trade with Western Europe. Rabin disclosed that Israel buys between $100 million and $150 million worth of European weapons and sold $180 million worth to Western Europe in 1988.
But the Israeli defense chief refused to give details of Israeli arms exports to Latin America, believed to be its largest weapons market.
Rabin canceled most of his appointments for Tuesday, in order to watch the Soviet aerial display at Le Bourget.
Officials here say intelligence reports reveal “huge” Soviet progress in the design and manufacture of Soviet combat aircraft and missiles, which would account for Rabin’s special interest.
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