Declassified UK reveals secret F-35 component shipments from UK to US

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Declassified UK
4 Dec 2024 18:25
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F-35 components from RAF Marham have been secretly sent to the US, with some potentially aiding "Israel's" genocidal campaign in Gaza, this latest report from Declassified UK uncovers.

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In this Wednesday, September 2, 2015, file photo, an F-35 jet arrives at its new operational base at Hill Air Force Base, in northern Utah. (AP)

Declassified UK published on Wednesday a detailed investigation revealing that F-35 fighter jet components were secretly transported from RAF Marham in Norfolk, UK, to the United States, with some potentially rerouted to "Israel" for the genocidal campaign in Gaza.

The report, co-authored with The Ditch and Drop Site News, analyzed cargo documents showing over 500 shipments since the war on Gaza began, raising concerns over British complicity in war crimes.

Arms Hypocrisy

The revelations follow the UK government's announcement on September 2, of suspending 30 arms export licenses to "Israel" to avoid complicity in the Gaza genocide. However, the suspension stopped short of a total ban, leaving most licenses active and enabling components to reach "Israel" indirectly through countries like the US.

The investigation found that many shipments were sent to US military facilities supplying "Israel's" fleet of F-35 fighter jets, with over 100 deliveries occurring after Labour leader Keir Starmer imposed restrictions on direct exports. The loophole permitting indirect shipments has sparked outrage among human rights activists and lawmakers.

Independent MP Zarah Sultana condemned the UK government, stating, "It is sheer hypocrisy for the government to call for a ceasefire, condemn the humanitarian crisis, and decry the lack of aid while continuing to enable the Israeli military to commit war crimes." She called for an immediate embargo on all arms sales to "Israel"", whether direct or indirect.

War Profiteering

A report by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) in May 2023 revealed that in 2012, the F-35 program’s executive steering board issued a memorandum designating all F-35 assets as the property of the US government when not installed on an aircraft.

The report further highlighted the program's unique supply chain, in which participating nations do not own spare parts individually but instead rely on a shared global pool of components managed and owned by the US Department of Defense.

This arrangement significantly undermines British control over the distribution of UK-made components. Most shipments from RAF Marham were directed to Air Force Plant 4 in Texas, the central production hub for F-35 jets.

As a major operator of F-35s, "Israel" has utilized these jets in airstrikes that international watchdogs have determined to violate humanitarian law. In July, one F-35 jet bombed a designated safe zone in Gaza, killing 90 civilians. These revelations come as the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Security Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Sam Perlo-Freeman of Campaign Against Arms Trade said, "The UK's obligations under international law, including the obligation to do everything possible to prevent genocide, are clear: all supplies of F-35 components from the UK to Israel, direct or indirect, must stop now."

"These spare parts are essential to keeping Israel's F-35s operational, and halting their supply would reduce the bombings and killings of civilians. It is as simple as that."

Complicity Exposed

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that F-35 components regularly move from RAF Marham to the US as part of the global spares pool owned by the US government but stated that no direct exports to "Israel" have occurred since the September suspension.

Critics argue that this policy fails to address the broader issue of UK-made components supporting "Israel's" genocidal operations, fueling controversy over Britain's role in the global arms trade.