UK granted licence to export targeting equipment to Israel, despite risk of use in Gaza

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) granted two new licences for the export of trainer aircraft for F-35 sorties and “targeting equipment” to Israel, Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) can reveal.

This is despite concerns about potential ‘auto-diversion’ of military equipment by Israel, and its ongoing use of the F-35 in its genocidal onslaughts.

CAAT analysed fresh UK export licensing statistics covering 2025 Q4. It found that licences totalling £20.5m were issued for exports to Israel, of which £11m was for incorporation, with £9.5m being standard (not for re-export).

Suspect licence

Of particular concern is an Open Individual Export Licence (OIEL) for military “components and technology for targeting equipment”, to the value of £8.7m. This is despite the UK government’s September 2024 suspension of such licences for fear of use in Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

When queried about the export licence’s compliance with UK policy, DBT told one journalist that the licence:

…covers items for re-export from Israel, and the government of Israel is not an end-user or ultimate end-user. This is consistent with our suspension…

However, there are longstanding concerns about potential ‘auto-diversion’ of military equipment by Israel. This is where there’s a failure to retransfer military material, instead assigning it to an unauthorised end-user such as the Israeli Occupation Forces, for use in Gaza. Such a move would be a breach of the licence and would constitute a potential criminal offence in UK courts.

Ministers have previously stated that they would revoke a licence should there be “any evidence” that equipment had not ended up where it should have. However, there are no known efforts by the UK government to confirm the fate of its military exports.

In March 2026 a DeClassified investigation revealed that an Elbit-owned subsidiary in the UK sent dozens of drone components, including Watchkeeper engines, to Israel over 18 months. However, Israel had failed to retransfer the equipment to Romania as stipulated in the licence, citing force majeure from its assault on Gaza.

Despite repeated UK government assurances that the equipment was for re-export, the contract with Romania has still not been fulfilled. Two days after Romania threatened to cancel the contract, Elbit announced it would start delivering the drones. As Israel continues its regional assault, there’s not yet confirmation of complete delivery of the components.

‘Training’ aircraft still fuel the genocide

Another OIEL issued in 2025 Q4 was for components for military training aircraft, and technology for same, for transfer to France, Greece, Israel, and Italy. This licence is likely to be for US aerospace firm Moog, for the M-346 Lead-In Fighter Trainer aircraft produced by Leonardo in Italy.

Every phase of advanced and pre-operational training of Israeli pilots uses the M-346, before they fly combat missions in Gaza, Iran and Lebanon using the F-16 and F-35. Its purpose is to reduce flight hours on significantly more expensive frontline aircraft. Israel has caused massive devastation with F-35 jets across Gaza, Iran and Lebanon.

Similar components shipped by Moog from the UK were recently seized in Belgium. It followed a complaint by a coalition of journalists and NGOs who alerted the authorities that the transfer did not carry the requisite licence. In any case, Belgium would have refused to issue a transit licence due to its policy on arms transfers to Israel. It has since opened a criminal investigation.

The largest part of the standard licences was £8.7m for components for military training equipment. The nature of the equipment is unclear, prompting fears that Israeli troops may use it to train, prior to deployment in Gaza and Lebanon.

CAAT research coordinator Sam Perlo-Freeman commented:

These new export licences show just how willing the UK is to continue enabling Israel’s genocidal assaults, while staying within the technical rule of a vastly insufficient and ineffective policy towards IDF war crimes.

The targeting equipment for which DBT granted a licence, for transfer to and re-export by Israel, could easily be used in Gaza. Given Israel’s history of weapons diversion and illicit transfers, and outstanding questions about Elbit drone components failing to arrive in Romania, there remains a grave risk that Israel will auto-divert the targeting equipment to the IDF for use in Palestine.

DBT is relying on end-user undertakings that hold no legal force in Israel, which the UK government does not check up on and cannot enforce. The exporter is technically in-the-clear, so long as it can’t be shown they knew the end-user undertaking was false.

The licence for transfer of M-346 trainer aircraft components and technology shows DBT don’t care whether they’re contributing to war crimes, by enabling the use of fighter jets that cause unprecedented suffering across the Middle East.

They’re simply doing the absolute bare minimum to keep to the terms of government policy, which itself was the absolute bare minimum they could get away with.

Featured image via the Canary