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Companies supplying the war in Yemen

More than 80 companies, at more than 350 locations in the UK, have applied to export military equipment to Saudi Arabia. 

Last updated 7 October 2020

UK-made weapons are being used in Saudi Arabia’s devastating attacks on  Yemen – attacks which have killed thousands and created a humanitarian disaster.

More than 80 companies, at more than 350 locations in the UK, have applied to export military equipment to Saudi Arabia.  You can read some case studies below.

BAE Systems

BAE Systems has been a primary partner and beneficiary of the massive billion-pound arms contracts which have helped prop up the autocratic Saudi regime for more than fifty years, profiting from torture, repression and international aggression.

Royal Saudi fighter jet, picture of pilot under canopy. Decals on jet say God Bless You and Royal Sau in Arabic and English

BAE

BAE's Typhoon and Tornado aircraft supplied to the Royal Saudi Air Force have been deployed on combat missions in Yemen.

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BAE Systems is the lead contractor on the Al-Yamamah and Al-Salam deals, and has sold a vast array of equipment to Saudi Arabia, including the Eurofighter Typhoon and Tornado combat aircraft used in Yemen.

The government has confirmed that UK built and licensed Typhoon and Tornado aircraft from the Royal Saudi Air Force have been deployed on combat missions in the Yemen campaign.

A contract for 72 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, brokered by the UK government, was agreed in 2007 at a cost of £4.5 billion, with a predicted value of £20bn over the lifetime of the aircraft. Negotiations for a new pricing deal were finalised in 2014.

Typhoons are manufactured at BAE’s Warton and Samlesbury sites, with the final aircraft assembled at Warton. All of the 72 aircraft have now been delivered. A memorandum of intent for a further 48 Typhoon aircraft was signed in March 2018. However, a contract has not yet been finalised.

The UK licensed the export of 120 BAE-produced Tornado jets as part of the Al Yamamah deal signed in 1985. This deal became the subject of a corruption investigation in 2004, which was cancelled following an intervention by Tony Blair in 2006. In 2013, a £1.5bn contract was agreed for Tornado aircraft upgrades and weapons.

BAE is also currently manufacturing Hawk jets for Saudi Arabia, with some assembly taking place in Saudi Arabia.

BAE’s Tactica armoured vehicles were used by Saudi Arabia in Bahrain to support the repression of democracy protests.

MBDA

MBDA’s missile sales to Saudi Arabia include:

The UK government has confirmed that Dual Mode Brimstone and Storm Shadow missiles have been used in Yemen.

It also added that it has in the past supplied Saudi-coalition partners UAE with PGM 500 precision-guided bombs (also known as the Hakim 2) that have also been used in the conflict. Armament Research has a case-study of the deployment of the munition in Yemen in September 2015.

Storm Shadow missile parts found in Yemen

MBDA

Storm Shadow missile parts were photographed in Yemen in December 2016. Photo by Hussain Albukhaiti on Twitter

More on MBDA

Raytheon

Raytheon’s Paveway IV guided bombs, currently being used in Yemen, are manufactured in Harlow and Glenrothes.

Human Rights Watch have documented the use of Paveway IV bombs against civilian structures in Yemen. One was manufactured and supplied after the start of the conflict.

The UK government confirmed that it accelerated delivery of Paveway precision-guided bombs in response to Saudi requests for additional UK support.

Other recent arms deals include 6,696 TOW anti-tank missiles618 air-to-ground missiles, and air-to-air missiles.

Paveway bombs

Human Rights Watch have documented the use of Paveway IV bombs against civilian structures in Yemen. One was manufactured and supplied after the start of the conflict.

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Leonardo

Leonardo is based in Italy but has a substantial presence in the UK. Its sites include a maintenance training centre in Luton for the Eurofighter Typhoon which is used by Saudi Arabia in its bombing of Yemen. Six Saudi engineers began training there in January 2016.

Leonardo states that it has been working in Saudi Arabia for more than four decades, supplying fighter aircraft, avionics, surveillance, naval and space systems among others.

Hidden Technology

Hidden Technology manufactures and supplies surveillance and intelligence gathering equipment to police, military and government security agencies around the globe from a site in Southend on Sea. The UK government’s arms promotions unit supported it to expand its business into Saudi Arabia, which it supplies with tracking technology.

Rolls Royce

Rolls-Royce manufactures engines for the Eurofighter Typhoon jets for the Royal Saudi Air Force, used in Yemen. Engines are manufactured at a site in Bristol. It also provides the engines for the AH-6i light attack helicopters supplied by Boeing.

Boeing

Boeing has supplied large numbers of F-15 combat aircraft to Saudi Arabia, including the new F-15SA version.

It has also provided AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, and in 2014, contracted to supply 24 AH-6i Little Bird light attack helicopters. The AH-6i has a Rolls-Royce engine and integrated weapons include: the General Dynamics 12.7 mm Gatling gun, the Dillon 7.62 mm Gatling gun, and the FN Herstal 12.7 mm chain gun. (Jane’s, 1.9.2014)

Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin states that it entered the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the delivery of the first C-130 Hercules in 1965. Since then, the company has expanded its security portfolio in the Kingdom to include integrated air and missile defense systems, maritime and civilian applications (Lockheed Martin, 30.9.2018).

Arms deals have included Hellfire air-to-ground missiles, Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods (US Dept of Defense, 26.6.2013), and Patriot missile systems.

General Dynamics

General Dynamics has contracts to supply Saudi Arabia with Abrams main battle tanks and also large numbers of armoured vehicles.

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