Current sectionIsrael NewsNational SecurityCovenant is one of the leading defense-tech firms operating in Israel. U.S. army photos and press release revealed their low-cost Anthem cruise missiles being tested last week in MoroccoShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeCovenant's cruise missile in Morocco Credit: U.S. Army Capt. Jordan BeagleCovenant's cruise missile in Morocco Credit: U.S. Army Capt. Jordan BeagleAugust 12, 2026Defense-tech startup firm Covenant Industries, which is secretly developing low-cost cruise missiles, held a demonstration last week in Morocco along with the U.S. military. The company was founded in 2024, and kept its products under wraps, despite being one of the most prominent companies operating in Israel's defense-tech sector. An official U.S. Defense Department release included photos that, for the first time, fully reveal the company's missiles. According to another report, the cruise missile had already been initially tested last month as part of a U.S. military exercise in California. The demonstration, conducted by the U.S. military along with Morocco's royal armed forces at the new Africa Multidomain Training and Experimentation Center, included an evaluation of "long-range precision-strike capabilities." The announcement focused primarily on the test site and the strategic cooperation between the U.S. Africa Command and the Moroccan military, but also publicly revealed Covenant's technology.Covenant Industries' Anthem missile tested at the Multidomain Training Area range complex in Morocco Credit: U.S. army/APCovenant Industries' Anthem missile tested at the Multidomain Training Area range complex in Morocco Credit: U.S. army/APAccording to the statement, the demonstration involved evaluating a system of low-cost, long-range cruise missiles "designed to provide affordable, scalable precision-strike options while collecting operational performance data." The announcement referred to an involved "U.S. technology startup" – meaning Covenant Industries. The firm is registered in the U.S. and has an Israeli subsidiary, with development work carried out in Israel. The Tel Aviv operation employs former workers from Israel's defense establishment and defense industries.Covenant Industries was founded by Michael Kaufman, an Israeli-American who previously immigrated to Israel. Kaufman worked in the U.S. investment industry, including at a fund owned by investor Peter Thiel, before coming to Israel to found Covenant. Covenant's cruise missile in Morocco Credit: U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Raquel BirkCovenant's cruise missile in Morocco Credit: U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Raquel BirkCovenant has raised hundreds of millions of dollars from Peter Thiel's Founders Fund, Lux Capital, 8VC, Andreessen Horowitz and Lightspeed.Publicly available aviation data indicates that at least some of Covenant's equipment and personnel came from Israel. A foreign cargo aircraft operated by a company specializing in transporting weapons landed in Israel on August 3, picked up the equipment, and arrived the following day in Tan-Tan, in southern Morocco, near the border with Western Sahara. Two business jets also traveled from Israel, apparently carrying the teams involved. Official U.S. Defense Department photographs showed the cargo aircraft being unloaded, revealing the assembly of the cruise missiles, as well as the teams themselves.Covenant's Anthem cruise missiles are seen in the photograph. The missiles have long wings and feature, among other components, an external jet engine and optical systems in its nose. Cruise missiles like these typically fly at low altitude along a relatively flat trajectory, unlike ballistic missiles, which follow an arcing trajectory.Abby Denburg, the company's chief growth officer and president, told foreign reporters that "preparing to begin delivering production-ready assets for our manufacturing line at the beginning of 2027 and put Anthem into the hands of the operators that need it."It is unclear whether Covenant is selling its missiles to the U.S. military. However, they could prove attractive to Western militaries as a cheaper alternative to expensive cruise missiles such as the U.S. Tomahawk, particularly amid reports that the Iran war has depleted the U.S. military's missile stockpiles. In June, Politico reported that Germany was considering Covenant's system, among other options.Haaretz national securityHow Israel armed Iran's neighborNew bases, razed villages: Israel entrenching deep in LebanonIs someone close to Bibi manipulating PolymarketWe found Israel's U.S. influence-opIsrael builds massive Gaza barrierPegasus in Morocco and founder's diplomatic passportMysterious arms flooding IsraelIsraeli arms sold to Qatar, Saudi ArabiaStarlink users, beware of Israeli techHaaretz has recently learned that the Israeli Defense Ministry is currently examining the possibility of acquiring cruise missiles. The ministry's Directorate of Defense Research and Development is conducting a preliminary review of the purchase that could be worth hundreds of millions of shekels.As part of that review, the ministry is exploring the acquisition of long-range cruise missiles that would be cheaper than those offered by the major arms manufacturers and that could be produced quickly and in large quantities.Covenant declined to comment for this article.In the NewsTest in Morocco Exposes Covenant's Secret Cruise MissileThe Dark Tech Running Israel's Election CampaignsIsrael Captured 230 Square Miles of Lebanon, Razed Villages and Built New BasesHow Israel's Elbit Armed the United Arab EmiratesIs Someone Close to Netanyahu Manipulating Polymarket Bets on His Election Win?Remembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMI50 Years Ago, a Young Israeli Was Crowned the Most Beautiful Woman in the WorldIsrael's Leading Philosopher on Manipulation, Morality and the Future of ZionismWho Is Rebeca Grynspan, the Jewish Frontrunner to Become the Next UN Chief?Phones of Missing Israeli Mother, Daughter Last Traced Near Vienna Train Station'I Saw Pictures of Dead Kids. 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