Britain will next year scrap a fleet of 47 drones manufactured by the Israeli firm Elbit Systems, the defense minister announced on Wednesday.
The uncrewed Watchkeeper aircraft were manufactured at UAV Tactical Systems, an Elbit factory in Leicester, a city in England’s Midlands region.
The Watchkeeper was modeled on Elbit’s infamous Hermes 450 drone, previously advertised as battle-tested on Palestinians,
The troubled Elbit subsidiary in Leicester has been a regular target for campaigners, especially Palestine Action.
“Elbit losing its biggest contract signifies the beginning of the end for the Israeli weapons maker’s presence in this country,” a spokesperson for the group said on Friday. …..more