Overview
- Leaked emails obtained by the Handala group and verified in reporting by Haaretz, Drop Site News and Middle East Eye record Elbit Systems discussing sales of Hermes 900 and 650 drones, SkyEye wide-area sensors, SkyStriker loitering munitions, ground control, training and logistical support.
- The correspondence describes the sale as “urgent” after the Houthi missile and drone attack on Abu Dhabi on January 17, 2022 and records a March 2022 plan for Israel’s defence R&D head to travel to the UAE with a Hermes 900 surveillance proposal.
- The documents put the initial package at about $154 million with possible upgrades raising the total to roughly $225 million, but the leaks do not show whether any systems were delivered and there are no public confirmations from Elbit, the UAE or Israeli authorities.
- Reporting notes the Hermes 900 is a long‑endurance reconnaissance platform with a large payload capacity able to carry extensive sensors and, according to past technical descriptions, potential armaments, which explains the strategic sensitivity of the discussions.
- The disclosures build on wider post‑Abraham Accords defence cooperation, including reporting of a UAE–Israel joint acquisition fund, and they raise concrete questions about export controls, regional balance with Iran and how transparent such procurements are to the public.