UAV Tactical Systems
UAV Tactical Systems is an Israeli-French drone company based out of a factory at Unit F, Meridian East, Meridian Business Park, Leicester, LE19 1WZ, U.K. The factory is used for design, testing, and manufacture of drones sold to the British army, Israel and international arms markets.
Watchkeeper Drone
UAV Tactical Systems’ flagship product is the Watchkeeper drone, made for the British Army and Border Force. Having racked up 100,000 hours of service in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Watchkeeper was originally modelled on Israel’s Elbit-made Hermes drones, which have been extensively deployed in operations against Gaza. By commissioning the Watchkeeper, the British government is thereby buying technology that claims to be ‘field-tested’ on Palestinians, while the Elbit CEO boasted of the ‘collaboration with the Israeli and UK governments‘ made possible through the Watchkeeper programme.
UAV TACTICAL SYSTEMS ARMS ISRAEL
The UAV Tactical Systems factory is directly supplying the Israeli military. Data to 2021 shows that the company holds export licenses for the sale, to Israel, of drones systems, target acquisition/surveillance systems, electronics equipment, and other military technologies. Freedom of Information disclosures show the company supplies Israel with infrared or thermal imaging equipment, and components for military grade ground vehicles.
We also know that the UAV Tactical Systems site has been used for projects operating the Hermes class of drones, on behalf of both the British military and for the United Nations. This drone is notorious for its deployments against Palestinians, used for surveillance, bombings, and targetted assasinations. Having been Israel’s ‘worst kept secret‘ for years, the Israeli military recently admitted that its Hermes drones are outfitted with explosives and munitions, and it is likely that parts for these drones are what comprise the many ML10-categorised exports that UAV Tactical Systems holds for the sale to Israel.
The UAV Tactical Systems site is therefore intimately tied to Israel’s drone warfare operation in two ways. On one hand, it is fuelling Israel’s drone programmes directly through the provision of hardware for Israel’s Hermes. While on the other hand, it further profits from these operations by repackaging and selling Israeli drones under the Watchkeeper brand.
Actions
Palestine Action Blockade Leicester’s Israeli Weapons Factory
Images and videos are available and free to use, under the folder 'Day 24':bit.ly/SiegeMedia On the 24th day of Palestine Action’s siege against Leicester’s Israeli Elbit factory — UAV Tactical Systems, another blockade has successfully locked down the company’s only...
Palestine Action Target Firms Linked to Leicester’s Israeli Weapons Factory
Images and videos are free to use, under folder Day 21, with no credit needed: bit.ly/SiegeMedia On the 21st day of the siege against Elbit's Leicester factory, UAV Tactical Systems (U-TacS), Palestine Action targeted two companies linked to the...
Palestine Action Locks Down Leicester’s Israeli Weapons Factory on Day 10 of The Siege
Images and videos from The Siege can be accessed via bit.ly/SiegeMedia, free to use or reproduce. Yesterday the Israeli occupation bombarded densely populated areas of Gaza, murdering 13 Palestinians including 4 children. Not willing to tolerate British...
Five Further Arrests at The Siege Outside Leicester’s Elbit Weapons Factory
Images and videos from The Siege can be accessed via bit.ly/SiegeMedia, free to use or reproduce. Five people were arrested at the siege yesterday evening after challenging the police for racially profiling drivers leading to stop and searches. This...
33 arrests made, including two co-founders; the Siege continues despite police repression
* UPDATE: It was previously publicised that 26 arrests had been made. As of 18:00 on 03/05/23, this number has been confirmed to in fact be 33.* An unprecedented 33 arrests were made yesterday at the site of the Palestine Action siege, as Leicestershire Police took...
Palestine Action blockade UAV Tactical Systems, on Day Two of the Siege
On Day Two of The Siege, four activists used lock-ons to block both roads which lead to the factory of Elbit subsidiary, UAV Tactical Systems. Completely cutting off access, the activists have put their bodies in the way and their liberties on the line, in...