Israeli defense giant IWI, Dutch defense company sign Netherlands-based arms production deal

Israeli defense firm IWI and Dutch company AIA plan to manufacture and assemble IWI weapon systems in the Netherlands, including the ARAD 5 rifle and NEGEV UX. Assembly will start in Tilburg, with phased production toward full domestic manufacturing. No timeframes or investment figures were given. The Dutch government was not involved in the agreement.

Israeli firearms maker Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) and Dutch defense company Artillerie Inrichtingen Armaments (AIA) plan to manufacture and assemble IWI weapon systems in the Netherlands. Under the planned cooperation agreement, AIA will begin manufacturing and assembling the ARAD 5 rifle and the NEGEV UX in a factory that will be built in the Netherlands. IWI will provide AIA with the underlying technology, product expertise, and manufacturing know-how, while AIA will establish the Dutch manufacturing operation and the infrastructure to deliver and support the products. Assembly will start at AIA's site in Tilburg, with the possibility of moving to a different location in the near future. Production will be phased, starting with assembly, followed by partial production in the Netherlands and eventually full domestic production, without specific timeframes or investment figures. AIA added that the Dutch government was not involved in the agreement. The announcement comes a day after 200,000 people gathered in Amsterdam to protest the Dutch government's policy toward Israel, part of a series of "red line" demonstrations organized by Oxfam Novib since May 2025.