Europe's top missile maker tied to bombs used in deadly Gaza strikes

Europe’s largest missile manufacturer, MBDA, has been linked to the supply chain of bombs used in Israeli air strikes on Gaza that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians, including children, according to a joint investigation by The Guardian, Disclose, and Follow the Money.

The investigation, whose details were published on Thursday, traces key components of the GBU-39 small diameter bomb, which has been deployed in multiple air strikes since the October 7, 2023 Hamas cross-border operation on Israel.

In retaliation, Israel launched a genocidal military assault on Gaza that has drawn international concern over the scale of civilian casualties and destruction.

MBDA, a multinational defence company jointly owned by BAE Systems (UK), Airbus (France), and Leonardo (Italy), manufactures “wings” for the GBU-39 at a factory in Alabama, in the United States. These extend after launch, enabling the bomb to be guided accurately to its target.

The bombs themselves are produced by US defence giant Boeing. Revenues from MBDA’s US arm flow through MBDA UK, headquartered in Hertfordshire, and on to the group’s central office in France.

According to company records, MBDA distributed nearly $471 million in dividends last year to its three shareholders.

Verified civilian casualties

Using open-source evidence and expert analysis, the investigation verified 24 instances where GBU-39 bombs were used in strikes that resulted in civilian deaths. Each of those incidents reportedly included children among the fatalities.

Many of the attacks took place without warning, at night, and targeted buildings such as schools and tent camps where displaced civilians had been sheltering.

Some of these air strikes are currently under scrutiny by the United Nations and Amnesty International, both of which have raised concerns about potential violations of international humanitarian law.

Amnesty has described several of the strikes as suspected war crimes.

MBDA confirmed its contractual relationship with Boeing to supply the bomb’s wing assemblies and said in a statement that it “complies [with] all relevant national and international laws applicable to the arms trade in the countries in which it operates … all of whom have export policies and operate robust export control regimes.”

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Source: TRT