Protest/Vigil – Farnborough Arms Fair: Say No Horror Show!

CAAT will be onsite, outside the fair on Monday 20th July, we expect from 9AM-4pm. Schedule to follow.

As per previous fairs, please bring food, water, a sunhat and suncream!

Location to be confirmed. For transport planning purposes, the junction of Farnborough Road with Netley Street is near the main entrance points to the fair.

More about this years arms fair:

Farnborough International Airshow, FIA 2026, is a gigantic arms fair.

The event’s principal “strategic” sponsor, Barclays, has been a regular investor in Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest arms company in the past. Barclays remains a primary dealer of Israeli government bonds; and continues to invest/lend over £8 billion to companies involved in supplying weapons to Israel including e.g. BAE Systems

There will be over 1000 arms company exhibitors at Farnbough Arms Fair this year

Many of them have been complicit with the genocide in Gaza; their products have been used in attacks in Yemen, Syria and Lebanon; and they continue to profit from conflicts around the world. They will be in Farnborough to show off their wares and make new deadly arms deals!

These companies will include

Lockheed Martin: manufacturer of the F-35. The Israeli F-35I Adir has been used extensively in the genocide in Gaza. The F-35 has also been used in multiple attacks on Yemen, Syria, and Iran. It also manufactures the F-16, widely used including by Israel in Gaza, Saudi Arabia in Yemen, and by the US everywhere.

BAE Systems: Manufactures 15% of every F-35, integrating components from other suppliers. Its Typhoon aircraft was used throughout the war in Yemen, which saw over 377,000 people killed due to the bombing and deliberate destruction of infrastructure, including healthcare, water and food supplies.

Leonardo: makes the laser targeting system for the F-35 in Edinburgh. 8 UK operational sites with the largest in Yeovil, Edinburgh and Luton. With BAE Systems, manufactures the Typhoon used by the Saudis in the bombing of Yemen.

Elbit Systems: Elbit is Israel’s largest arms company. Its Hermes drones have surveilled and attacked Palestinians over 15 years. It describes its drones as the “backbone” of the Israeli drone fleet.

Boeing: manufactures the F-15, Chinook and Apache helicopters.  Boeing was the leading arms manufacturer of missiles and munitions delivered to Israel from 2021- 2023. Israel has also used a version of the F-15, the F-15 Eagle to bomb Gaza.

Rafael: Israel’s largest missile maker. The Israeli military has used Rafael’s Spike guided missiles to target individuals inside buildings in Gaza. Spike missiles have been linked to an April 2024 attack against humanitarian workers in Gaza.

IAI Israeli Aerospace Industries. Products include the Heron, Heron TP,  and Heron MK II medium altitude long endurance drones, primarily used for surveillance and reconnaissance. Its strike drones include the Tactical Heron, BirdEye650D, WanderB-VTOL, APUS 25 and ThunderB-VTOL. All have been used in Israel’s genocidal occupation of the Palestinian territories. 

RTX Raytheon Raytheon is a significant supplier of missiles and other goods and services to the Israeli military. The GBU–28, Sidewinder, and Paveway (the US-produced Paveway II version) weapons supplied by the company have been reported by Israeli and international media to have been used in Gaza. Raytheon also provides weapon systems, components, and maintenance services to F-15, F-16, and F-35 fighter jets; these likely include those belonging to the Israeli Air Force. 

L3 Harris: makes the bomb release mechanism for the F-35I Adir, used in the Gaza genocide, as well as other componentry for the F-35. Extensive involvement in global conflict, including making Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance aircraft and the Ground Panoramic “Pano” Night Vision Goggles, used by the US and its allies in night raids in Afghanistan and Iraq. Extensive war crimes including the killing of unarmed civilians have been reported associated with these operations.