I don't know the official military imports but it will be equally underestimated. The true figure of military imports and exports are obscured by 'Joint Ventures' between Israeli and EU companies. In every market and region Joint Ventures, often referred to as JVs, are used to avoid domestic import/export regulations and laws. They are also used to transfer technologies to foreign nations as part of geopolitical deals. When ordered by the US, Britain exported F-16 HUD technology to Israel but the use of a joint venture would have made avoided the embarrassment of that public British u-turn.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are the drones that Israel uses for assassinations, reconnaisance, artillery-targetting, surveillance and so on. They range from souped up Model aircraft with missiles to remotely-controlled full-size aircraft carrying large payloads. They are the 'Aerial Hunter/Killers' of the Terminator movies. It is standard modern battlefield kit for most armies, but the Israelis have a whole battle-proven fleet and lead most nations technologically.
An Israeli UAV & company with a paint job
A second UAV military dealer in England requires more attention-span to fully understand .
UAV Tactical Systems Ltd (U-TacS) is starting up just now in Leicester (and Cardigan Bay) to locally manufacture Israeli UAVs for the British Army. The 'Watchkeeper' [4] contract awarded this month last year is worth £700 million to U-TacS. U-TacS is described as a 'Thales led consortium' in the British media but in fact it is a subsidiary of Elbit who maintain a 51% control [5] . Thales are the largest private French military company, Elbit are the largest private Israeli military company. The U-TacS consortium also includes Boeing, Vega, Cobham in Wimborne, Cubic Corporation in Greenford, LogicaCMG in Leatherhead, Marshall SV in Cambridge, Praxis in Bath QinetiQ and of course UAV Engines Ltd.
U-tacs are hoping to sell the completed Watchkeeper system to France once it is operational at yet more profit to Elbit subsidised by the British taxpayer, so a French company pretending to be 'leading' the consortium is understandable, the French get Israeli UAVs subsidised by the British tax-payer.
This particular joint-venture seems to be being used to avoid judicial scrutiny over British Army arms deals with Israel and this seems to be a typical and global use of these so called 'joint-ventures'. Apartheid South Africa was supported through the sanctions by the West through similar business fictions. The false claims that this is a consortium led by Thales, a French arms company, is being used to obscure the fact the British have just bought Israeli military product ( 99 Elbit Silverfish Hermes wk-540's ) at massive expense. Deals like this mean the UK can never refuse to export arms to Israel even if they are being used against innocent civilians in case Israel reciprocates and cuts off military exports to us. Apart from this one £700 million contract, how much of the British defence budget is spent on Israeli arms ? How many 'joint-venture' Israeli-controlled arms companies are there in the UK ?
I would recommend any of these companies as the best targets for actions in protest at the Israeli slaughter in Gaza and Lebanon and at our governments complicity. Bonus points for U-tacS or UAV Engines Ltd though. I'm going to work on them myself but they deserve more hassle than just me. Just now U-tacS is recruiting [6], I don't know which part of Leicester they are located but perhaps someone local could phone and pretend to apply and ask the recruitment agency for me ?
Background aka what got me started googling : Collaborations between UK and Israeli Arms companies
http://www.caat.org.uk/publications/countries/israel-0605.pdf
Links
[1] - http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1078392006
[2] - http://www.uavenginesltd.co.uk
[3} - http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm050720/wmstext/50720m02.htm#50720m02.html_spmin0
[4] - http://www.army-technology.com/projects/watchkeeper/
[5] - http://www.secinfo.com/drPan.v6j.htm
6] -
Job Title Mechanical Engineer
Job number 107156701
Posted 30/06/2006 (09:10)
Agency F10 Ltd
Description Mechanical Design Engineer
Location: LeicesterShire
PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
To provide Mechanical Engineering expertise to UAV Tactical Systems for the Design, Development and Qualification of the Ground based shelters, vehicles and other equipment that is supplied as part of a UAV Subsystem.
PRINCIPAL RELATIONSHIPS
· Ground Element Engineering Manager
· Ground Element Control Account Manager
· Marshalls Specialist Vehicles and other subcontractors technical representatives
· Customers' Qualification experts
· U-TacS engineering team
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
· Mechanical design of shelter and vehicle installations required as part of the WATCHKEEPER programme
· Planning and implementation of Vehicle and Shelter qualification
· Environmental analysis and specification of environmental requirements for equipment procurement
· Provide mechanical expertise to the transfer of UAV technology from Elbit systems to U-TacS
TASKS
Working as an integral part of the U-TacS engineering team with the following specific tasks:
· All aspects of mechanical design including, but not limited to:
o Concept Layout of shelters and vehicles
o Detailed layout of equipment within shelters and vehicles
o Operator console design with an emphasis on human factors
o Thermal analysis
o Stress analysis
o Environmental analysis and compliance
· Vehicle and Shelter qualification
· Leading internal design reviews
· Supporting Customer and subcontractor design reviews.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS REQUIRED
· Experience installing electronic equipment within vehicles and/or shelters
· Experience in designing equipment to survive in harsh environments
· Experience in vehicle qualification and familiarity with the relevant Defence and civil specifications
· Familiar with defence engineering specifications
· Experience of defining and managing environmental qualification testing
· Competent and experienced with stress calculations and analysis
· Competent and experienced with thermal calculations and analysis
· Familiar with the use of 3D CAD for design, specifically Pro-Engineer
· Familiar with FEA and CFD analysis tools
FORMAL AUTHORITY
· Mechanical signatory on ICDs, drawings, specifications, plans etc.
Qualifications:
· BSc or equivalent in Mechanical Engineering
· 5-10 years relevant experience working in mechanical design and qualification field.
GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
· Salary package - £32,000 to £37,000 per annum
· Hours of work - average of 37 hours per week
· Proposed working pattern - 9 day fortnight (alternate Friday's off)
· Holidays - 25 days plus 8 statutory bank holidays per annum
· Company enhanced sick pay scheme
· Pension - Stakeholder Scheme, employee and employer contributions
Location Leicestershire
Job type Permanent
Contract length N/A
Salary/rate £30000 - £38000/annum
Start date 1151974202.81034
Contact name Paul Hinton
Telephone 0845 838 1101
E-mail paul.hinton@f10.co.uk
Ref no PH/MechEng/4175
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