UAV ENGINES LTD
UAV Engines Ltd (UEL) is an Elbit subsidiary located in Shenstone, in the Midlands. It designs and makes engines for drones. The company states that it makes the “engines for various size tactical UAVs, target drones and single mission platforms.” Three out of five of UEL’s directors are Israeli. UEL was the first Elbit factory in Britain to be targeted by Palestine solidarity activists, and has been shut down by protesters dozens of times.
The factory is a crucial subsidiary of Elbit because it produces the engine to the Hermes 450 drone. Whilst once a surveillance drone which provided the Israeli military with targeting information, the Hermes 450 has since been equipped to carry missiles. It is said to be the ‘backbone’ of the IOF’s spying and targeting missions. It was used to bomb targets, including people, in the 2014 assault on Gaza.
The British army also relies on the Hermes 450, and has used it extensively in Afghanistan and Iraq. The British army has used Hermes 450 extensively in Afghanistan and Iraq, and was flown for more than 86,000 hours in total in both countries.
UEL also provides the engine for Britain’s Watchkeeper drone, which is based on the Hermes 450 (which has been “battle-tested” on the Palestinian people) and is produced by Elbit and French arms company Thales. The Watchkeeper has worked alongside the Hermes 450 to cause devastation in Afghanistan. The British government has ordered a total of 54 Watchkeepers.