Israel�s Defense Ministry says the country�s military exports were $7.5 billion last year, down 18% from the previous year.

The ministry said on Wednesday that despite the drop, the 2018 figures were a �major success� and the second-highest level in the past decade.

It said the $9.2 billion of defense exports in 2017 were �out of the ordinary� but was unable to explain the drop in 2018, saying only that the global market is �dynamic.�

The largest share of Israel�s exports consisted of missiles and air defense systems. Unmanned aerial vehicles, radar systems and ammunition also represented crucial exports.

Nearly half of Israel�s sales went to the Asia and the Pacific region.

Israel is the world�s eighth-largest arms exporter, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

(AP)