British Firm Supplying Engines for ’Israel’s’ Killer Drones: Report

By Staff, Agencies

A leading British media organization has revealed that the UK engineering company RCV Engines is supplying engines for "Israel’s" newest generation of killer drones, in yet another evidence of London’s complicity in the occupying enity’s genocide of Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.

According to a report published by Declassified UK on Monday, RCV Engines has been identified as the manufacturer of the propulsion system for the APUS 25 drone, developed by "Israel" Aerospace Industries (IAI), which is an "Israeli" manufacturer of fighter aircraft and drones.

The report said images published by IAI show the APUS 25's engine bearing the RCV Engines' logo.

Marketed as a “revolutionary TactiQuad,” the APUS 25 is designed for long-endurance and combat operations, capable of carrying weapons and conducting surveillance missions, including in Gaza.

It is “set to redefine tactical drone operations for ground and maritime forces worldwide” given that it can fly for longer and hold a range of payloads, according to IAI.

The drone’s versatility extends to “offensive operations,” meaning it can “effectively deploy… weapons systems, adding a new dimension to tactical air support in combat scenarios.”

The connections of the Dorset-based engineering firm to "Israel’s" arms industry “have remained hidden from public view until now,” according to Declassified UK.

Established in 1997, RCV Engines produces internal combustion engines and describes itself as a “specialist in multi-fuel engine technology.”

The firm's director, Lawrence Gould, is the brother of Britain's former ambassador to "Israel," Matthew Gould.

The revelation offers further evidence that UK-made drone components are being exported to "Israel" to be used to commit war crimes in Gaza.

Over recent months, "Israeli" remote-controlled quadcopters – which are small unmanned vehicles with four rotors – have been filmed dropping bombs and firing on Palestinians in the besieged territory.

“The drones would come down and pick off civilians – children,” retired surgeon Nizam Mamode told British MPs in November.

“We [were] operating on children who would say: ‘I was lying on the ground after a bomb had dropped and this quadcopter came down and hovered over me and shot me,’”, he added.

Moreover, "Israeli" drones have reportedly been used to broadcast the sound of crying babies to lure Palestinians into open spaces, where they are then targeted.

RCV Engines admitted in 2022 that it had been granted an export license exemption to ship its equipment worldwide, suggesting that its exports to "Israel" might not be subject to the Labour government’s arms restrictions.