Op-Ed: 

The F35 kill switch idea did more damage than a real kill switch. Then they made it worse


By Paul Wallis
DIGITAL JOURNAL
March 22, 2025


F-35: U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Zachary Foster — CC0 1.0

The F35 kill switch was something nobody wanted to think about. According to the Pentagon, it doesn’t exist. Nor should it.

But imagine being stupid enough to create the idea at all.

A real distrust of American weapon systems could kill the entire sector. Back this up with a very sincere distrust of American politics and “personalities” and you’re losing your market entirely.

Particularly now, when America is barely on speaking terms with the rest of the world.

The world is that round thing with all those other people in it, for those suffering from American geography.

Just so you know.

During the Cold War, America made much of “Ivan the Terrible Salesman” and Russia’s ham-fisted arms business blunders.

Now they’re doing the same thing themselves with hopelessly inept diplomacy and a truly grotesque series of statements about annexing Canada, buying Greenland, invading Panama, etc, etc.

Then there’s the fun bit about ultra-annoying your allies systematically from day one. That’s working well.

It’s a bad case of American exceptionalism gone hyper-gaga. The world has taken serious exception.

The F35 kill switch idea is a case in point.

What if you did have a kill switch?

What if your ever-increasing supply of enemies went looking for one?

What if they couldn’t find one, and decided to invent one?

Could you be any stupider?

That’s why the idea is dangerous. There are any number of ways of putting a plane out of action, but an entire class of fighters, and remotely? It’s theoretically doable, although it’d be quite a feat of engineering.

It’s also a very big ticket big money item in the US defense sector, put at risk by three words.

Any other outbreaks of genius? Or do we have to wait to see how the wannabe roulette wheel of US defense policies pans out?

Why did the F35 kill switch have any credibility at all? The main reason is extreme distrust of American politics. Canada backed out of its F35 purchases for that reason. It’s hard to believe a clumsier or stupider approach to a longtime close ally.

The F35 is in service with multiple air forces. These very high-maintenance aircraft need enough pampering without bonus tantrums or any other issues. They’re expensive. Before they went into service, I was calling them a “flying credit card”. They’re still expensive,

Now just suppose someone other than the Lone Musketeer aka “All for One, None for All” went on a cost-cutting rampage. How about all those expensive American weapons? Look good on a budget as “savings”? What a coincidence.

Suppose competitors who design their aircraft like multiple countries in Europe and Japan did a few quick sums about producing their aircraft? See any bottom line issues for the American military-industrial complex?

This verbose, thoughtless idiocy is actually capable of undercutting the American monopoly on high-end military tech even if it takes a while. What if they very unsurprisingly put export tariffs on critical materials? Or simply refuse to export? Any thoughts, geniuses?

It took three words to put the whole US aerospace sector in serious question. Have you ever considered shutting up?

________________________________________________

Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in this Op-Ed are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Digital Journal or its members.

F35 boondoogle

So the Parliamentary Budget Office declares that the Harpocrites have low balled the costs of their F35 fighter purchase, which they sole sourced. They say prove it...that's hard to do when the DOD fails to provide the PBO with any cost estimates, being under the cone of silence imposed by the PMO.

The F35 is a white elephant that has not gotten off the runway yet, you want too know the costs of this ,OK that's easy you just have read the press...The American and International press that is. Something the PBO did while the Harpocrites continue to deny, deny, deny....So what did Lockheed Martin promise the Harpocrites?

After all Lockheed Martin now also does the information collection for Stats Canada as it does for Stats UK.

Ironically the only persons to protest the mandatory census law in Canada and get charged, which the Harpocrites used to justify the canceling of the Long Form census, were Anti-War/ Anti-Lockheed Martin protesters.

Gates Shakes Up Leadership for F-35 - NYTimes.com

McCain Says F-35 Cost Overruns Have Been `Obscene': Video - Bloomberg


The cost overrun on the main engine for the Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) F-35 fighter jet has grown by $600 million over the past year, despite tough cost-cutting measures by engine maker Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp (UTX.N), a Navy document shows.

The total cost to complete the Pratt F135 engine is now estimated to be $7.28 billion -- $2.5 billion more than the $4.8 billion initially projected for the engine, according to the document, which was first reported by Aviation Week magazine on its website on Wednesday.

That is an increase of $600 million from the $1.9 billion cost overrun that was reported last year by the House Armed Services Committee.

Pratt spokeswoman Erin Dick said she was not familiar with the new number, and emphasized that the company's aggressive cost-cutting measures were taking effect.

Pentagon officials disclosed last week that the F-35 joint strike fighter program so far has exceeded its original cost estimates by more than 50 percent.

These revelations come as no surprise considering the history of this program. The Government Accountability Office concluded that F-35 estimated acquisition costs have increased $46 billion and development extended two-and-a-half years compared to the program baseline approved in 2007.

The price per aircraft projected at $69 million in 2001 is now up to $112 million, according to GAO. The Pentagon plans to acquire 2,443 jets for the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. Foreign nations also are expected to buy the aircraft.

A congressional auditor said Thursday that the Joint Strike Fighter, the Pentagon's most expensive weapons program, "continues to struggle with increased costs and slowed progress," leading to "substantial risk" that the defense contractor will not be able to build the jet on time or deliver as many aircraft as expected.

Michael Sullivan, the U.S. Government Accountability Office's top analyst on Lockheed Martin's jet fighter, also known as the F-35 Lightning II, told the Senate Armed Services Committee in a hearing that the cost of the program has increased substantially and that development is 2 1/2 years behind schedule.

The United States plans to buy about 2,400 of the fighter jets for the Air Force, the Marine Corps and the Navy. The projected cost for the program appears to have increased to $323 billion from $231 billion in 2001, when Bethesda-based Lockheed won the deal, according to Sullivan. Eight other countries -- Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway -- also plan to buy the jets.

The cost to build the plane is now expected to be $112 million per aircraft, according to a GAO auditor.

US Joint Strike Fighter (F-35) Hits Afterburners on Cost Overrun

POSTED BY: Robert Charette / Fri, March 12, 2010

The US Department of Defense officially announced that the Joint Strike Fighter aka F-35 Lightning II will breach a Nunn-McCurdy Amendment critical threshold on 1 April - an appropriate day, I think.

The Nunn-McCurdy Amendment says that a major defense program is considered to have incurred a "critical breach" if it exceeds the current baseline cost estimate by more than 25% or the original baseline cost estimate by 50%.

Defense officials told the US Senate Armed Services Committee in a hearing yesterday that the estimated cost per F-35 aircraft had risen from $50.2 million to somewhere between $80 to $95 million in 2002 constant dollars. The program has also slipped its schedule by at least two and a half years as well for the USAF and Navy versions of the aircraft (it was slipped by 2 years in 2004 as well).

As a result of the breach, the DoD must certify to the US Congress that the program is essential for national security, which it will, of course; and Congress - which is very unhappy with the program's management (the government's program manager was recently fired) - will continue to fund the F-35 because there is little other choice.

The other eight nations participating in the program - Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Turkey and the U.K. - aren't going to be happy about the cost increases either. I suspect some sweetheart deal will be made to make them less unhappy.

The F-35 program, which has a total life cycle cost of over $1 trillion dollars, was promised to be a "model acquisition program" which would avoid the cost overruns and schedule slips of past aircraft programs like the F-22 Raptor and provide an "affordable next generation strike aircraft."

The JSF website says that, "The focus of the program is affordability -- reducing the development cost, production cost, and cost of ownership of the JSF family of aircraft."

They may want to now amend that sentence.

The Australians are now seriously reconsidering their purchase of the F35

Because the RAAF’s Hornets are aging, Canberra approved the purchase of
Super Hornets as an interim aircraft between the classic Hornet and the
F-35. Aerospace industry and military officials contend that without the
Super Hornet to make the task of integration incremental, the shift
from Hornet to F-35 would likely have become a nightmare of increased cost, complexity and schedule overruns.

And yes Joe and Janey Canuk there is an alternative to this overpriced piece of war machinery...And Japan is looking at buying it....

The F-35, otherwise known as the ball and chain seemingly the entire Western world finds itself chained to, is probably not looking so good to Tokyo right now.

Now, delays suggest the F-35, another stealthy, state-of-the-art option, will not be available until 2020, which could leave a longer-than-acceptable gap for Japan.

Enter the Eurofighter, which is not as advanced as the F-22 or F-35 _ known as fifth-generation fighters_ but is already in service.

The supersonic aircraft, which made its first flight in 1994, is used by six countries: Germany, Italy, Spain, Britain, Austria and Saudi Arabia. Its makers are looking to sell the fighter to Greece, Denmark, Romania, Qatar and India. It is believed to cost about $100 million per aircraft.

A big part of the Eurofighter sales pitch is that it will not tightly restrict the transfer of technology, which means some of it could eventually be built in Japan _ a significant plus for Japanese planners concerned with domestic industry. The U.S. options may not be as generous.

"The Eurofighter group has offered Tokyo lots of sweeteners, including industrial participation," he said. "If the U.S. side can't come up with something equally attractive, then I think it will be difficult for Tokyo to choose a less beneficial deal."

Christopher Hughes, a Japan specialist and political scientist at the University of Warwick, said he believes Tokyo may go for the Eurofighter as a gap-filler, then buy the F-35 once it is ready.

"My feeling is that the Eurofighter might have a chance, but not as the main F-X," he said. "It ticks a lot of boxes and is ready to go, and whilst not cheap, probably nowhere near as costly as the F-35."

Besides budget Hawks like McCain even the Conservative think tank the Hudson Institute is critical of the F35 boondoggle.

Do you know "Cheop's Law"? Named for the Pharaoh who built the great pyramid, and postulated by the author Robert Heinlein, it runs:"Nothing ever gets built on schedule or within budget." Anyone who questions the wisdom of this maxim should examine the Defense budgets of the world's democracies, apart from the average home remodeling project.

The US should be getting better results for the money it spends. The quality of an F-22 air superiority fighter , for example, is not in question, but if the President and Congress decide that we can only afford 187 of them, compared to a certified need for 380, then something is terribly wrong. The same problem of excessive costs leading to a severely curtailed procurement, afflicted the B-2 bomber: only 21 were bought when the air force needed about 120. Today, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is in danger of being canceled or curtailed due to an estimated overall 65% cost increase since 2002.

The problem with the military projects in the US is that it is their form of state capitalism, which Eisenhower called the 'Military Industrial Complex.'

"Big military contractors, like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman or Boeing, have a relationship with the government that is unusual and tight. In some ways, they operate almost as wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Pentagon, which can provide the bulk of their revenues."

F35 boondoogle

Canada makes US$99M payment as part of deal to foot more of bill for developing F-35

LIBERALS PAY FOR HARPER'S F-35 BOONDOGGLE

Ottawa has made a multimillion-dollar payment as part of a renegotiated deal that is expected to see Canada foot more of the bill for developing the F-35 than in previous years.

The US$99-million payment and renegotiated deal come despite the fact the Liberal government has said Canada may not actually buy the stealth fighter.

The government announced in late March that it was entering into negotiations for the purchase of 88 F-35s, but left the door open to buying a Swedish-made fighter if the talks stalled.

Canada is one of eight partner countries involved in developing the F-35, and its latest contribution means it has so far thrown US$712 million into the pot.

Defence officials say the updated deal reflects Canada's desire to buy 88 new fighters rather than its original plan of 65, as well as Turkey's withdrawal from the F-35 program.

However, the renegotiated agreement also comes as U.S. officials raised fresh concerns last week about escalating costs and development problems with the stealth fighter.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2022.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

F35 boondoogle

So the Parliamentary Budget Office declares that the Harpocrites have low balled the costs of their F35 fighter purchase, which they sole sourced. They say prove it...that's hard to do when the DOD fails to provide the PBO with any cost estimates, being under the cone of silence imposed by the PMO.

SEE LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for F35 

Leaked video shows F35 fighter crashing on aircraft carrier and going up in flames in South China Sea


Leaked video shows F35 fighter crashing on aircraft carrier and going up in flames in South China Sea

Gustaf Kilander
Mon, February 7, 2022

A leaked video shows an F35 fighter jet crashing onto an aircraft carrier and being engulfed in flames before sliding into the South China Sea.

The F-35C plane is the most recent in the fleet used by the US Navy. It was filmed off a monitor and uploaded to Reddit by a user who said they were not the original owner of the video. The footage was filmed inside the USS Carl Vinson on 24 January, CNN reported.

After crashing into the ship, the plane slides across the runway into the water. Members of the crew can be heard yelling “wave off, wave off” as the $100m plane approaches the ship. The term is used when a pilot is advised to abandon a landing attempt, and instead speed back up to turn around for another try. But in this case, the warning came too late to avoid a crash.

Seven people were injured in the crash. The pilot ejected from the plane, with six people on the aircraft carrier also sustaining injuries.

Former Royal Australian Air Force Officer Peter Layton, currently at the Griffith Asia Institute, told CNN: “That’s really, really scary.” He said the plane appeared to struggle to retain control as it approached the ship.

“As the aircraft is coming down the flaps are working overtime backwards and forwards. It looks like the pilot has lost control and is suffering oscillations,” he said, adding that the plane may have not been using the automatic landing system, which limits the corrections a pilot has to make.

“It’s a really clever piece of software that links up the flight controls [the flaps] and the throttles and also gives the pilot some display so the pilot can monitor the system and fine tweak,” Mr Layton said. “This is a reasonably new system that came out of the F-35 program.”

The F-35C started being used in 2019, and its use on the USS Carl Vinson was its first operational deployment. The US Navy has confirmed that video is authentic, CNN reported.

“We are aware that there has been an unauthorized release of video footage from flight deck cameras onboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) of the F-35C Lightning II crash that occurred Jan 24, in the South China Sea. There is an ongoing investigation into both the crash and the unauthorized release of the shipboard video footage,” Navy public affairs officer Zach Harrell said in an email.

Navy officials said the aircraft carrier resumed normal operations quickly after the crash. According to analysts, the ongoing efforts to get the ship from the seafloor would be difficult and would come under Chinese scrutiny. China considers almost all of the South China Sea to be its territory.

The F-35C has advanced technology that the US would want to avoid handing over to China. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has said that they have “no interests” in the plane.

“We advise [the US] to contribute more to regional peace and stability, rather than flexing force at every turn in [the South China Sea],” spokesperson Zhao Lijian said.

UPDATED

UK

Campaigners blockade BAE Systems site in Glasgow over ‘Israel ties’


Lucinda Cameron, PA Scotland
Thu, 7 December 2023 at 1:34 am GMT

Campaigners are staging a blockade at a defence company’s shipyard in Glasgow in protest over its ties to Israel as they call for a ceasefire.

The blockade at the entrances to the BAE Systems site in Govan in Glasgow has been organised by a local group in co-ordination with Workers for a Free Palestine.

The demonstration is one of four across the UK on Thursday morning, with campaigners saying more than 1,000 workers and trade unionists have blockaded four arms factories in England and Scotland.

Protesters form a blockade outside Eaton Mission Systems in Wimborne near Bournemouth

 (Andrew Matthews/PA)


They are urging BAE and other companies to end their ties with Israel and cease all weapons, defence and supplies trading with them.

They are also calling on the UK Government to back a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and are calling for an end to the occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

More than 600 trade unionists have blocked Eaton Mission Systems in Wimborne near Bournemouth, and hundreds of others have shut down arms factories in Brighton, Lancashire and Glasgow which produce components for the F-35 stealth aircrafts, campaigners said.

The group Workers for a Free Palestine said it is escalating its tactics by targeting four factories at once in different parts of Britain as part of a coordinated international action today.

Jenny, a spokeswoman for the Workers for a Free Palestine group, who did not give her surname said: “The fighter jets these factories help to produce are being used to imprison the people of Gaza in a death trap.

“They are ordered to evacuate when they have nowhere safe to go, while our Government still refuses to back a ceasefire.

“Workers all over Britain are rising up for Palestine, saying we will not allow arms used in a genocide to be supplied in our name and funded by our taxes.

“Our movement is growing rapidly and gaining more momentum each day.

“We are escalating our tactics and today’s blockades are seeing unprecedented numbers of people take part in the disruption of Israeli arms manufacturing in Britain, in concert with workers targeting Israeli arms suppliers around Europe.

“We won’t stop shutting down these factories until they stop supporting Israel’s murderous war machine.”

Protesters form a blockade outside BAE Systems in the Govan area (Jane Barlow/PA)

Activists holding a banner saying “Stop Arming Israel” could be seen at one of the entrances to the Govan factory, while at another demonstrators held Palestinian flags.

They claim that BAE systems produces components of weapons sold to Israel, such as the F35 combat aircraft and the Mk 38 Mod 2 machine gun system.

Scott, a youth worker aged 26, who did not wish to give his surname, said: “We are not here to shame or blame workers at BAE.

“The company’s management decides what to produce and who to sell to – it is them we hold accountable for being part of the chain of killing.”

Jay, a visual artist aged 24, said: “I came here today to show that direct action is for everyone and that together, we can change the way the world turns.”

A BAE Systems spokesperson said: “We’re horrified by the situation in Israel and Gaza and the devastating impact it’s having on civilians in the region and we hope it can be resolved as soon as possible.

“We respect everyone’s right to protest peacefully. We operate under the tightest regulation and comply fully with all applicable defence export controls, which are subject to ongoing assessment.”

Hundreds protest outside defence factories against arms being sent to Israel


Lucinda Cameron and Alan Jones
Thu, 7 December 2023 

Hundreds of campaigners have staged protests outside a number of defence factories in the latest demonstration against arms being sent to Israel.

The campaign group Workers for a Free Palestine said it had blockaded sites in Bournemouth, Glasgow, Brighton and Lancashire, some of which are operated by defence giant BAE Systems.

The company’s shipyard in Glasgow was targeted in the early morning protests on Thursday, which the campaign group said demonstrated it was escalating its action after previous blockades.

The demonstrators are urging BAE and other companies to end their ties with Israel and cease all weapons, defence and supplies trading with them.

They are also calling on the UK Government to back a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and are calling for an end to the occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Protesters form a blockade outside Eaton Mission Systems in Wimborne near Bournemouth (Andrew Matthews/PA)

The biggest protest was at Eaton Mission Systems in Wimborne near Bournemouth where around 600 people took part.

Jenny, a spokeswoman for the Workers for a Free Palestine group, who did not give her surname, said: “The fighter jets these factories help to produce are being used to imprison the people of Gaza in a death trap.

“They are ordered to evacuate when they have nowhere safe to go, while our Government still refuses to back a ceasefire.

“Workers all over Britain are rising up for Palestine, saying we will not allow arms used in a genocide to be supplied in our name and funded by our taxes.

“Our movement is growing rapidly and gaining more momentum each day.

“We are escalating our tactics and today’s blockades are seeing unprecedented numbers of people take part in the disruption of Israeli arms manufacturing in Britain, in concert with workers targeting Israeli arms suppliers around Europe.

“We won’t stop shutting down these factories until they stop supporting Israel’s murderous war machine.”

Activists holding a banner saying “Stop Arming Israel” could be seen at one of the entrances to the Govan factory, while at another demonstrators held Palestinian flags.

They claim that BAE systems produces components of weapons sold to Israel, such as the F35 combat aircraft and the Mk 38 Mod 2 machine gun system.

Scott, a youth worker aged 26, who did not wish to give his surname, said: “We are not here to shame or blame workers at BAE.

“The company’s management decides what to produce and who to sell to – it is them we hold accountable for being part of the chain of killing.”

Activists blocking one of the site entrances in Govan chanted “free, free Palestine” and “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.

Protesters form a blockade outside BAE Systems in the Govan area of Glasgow (Jane Barlow/PA)

One of those demonstrating in Govan, who gave his name only as Oli, said people in Glasgow are saying “enough is enough”.

He told the PA news agency: “We wanted to stop business and to tell BAE we are prepared to do this as long as we can to make you think twice about the decisions you make.

“Glasgow does not need to make war machines. Glasgow and the people of Glasgow are saying we want to make things that are useful for people, not harmful.”

Jay, a visual artist aged 24, said: “I came here today to show that direct action is for everyone and that together, we can change the way the world turns.”

A BAE Systems spokesperson said: “We’re horrified by the situation in Israel and Gaza and the devastating impact it’s having on civilians in the region and we hope it can be resolved as soon as possible.

“We respect everyone’s right to protest peacefully. We operate under the tightest regulation and comply fully with all applicable defence export controls, which are subject to ongoing assessment.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We are aware of a protest outside premises in Govan Road and officers are in attendance.”

Similar protests were held in other European countries on Thursday including France and Denmark.

Activists in Glasgow shut down BAE Systems in Govan in call for Palestine ceasefire


Gabriel McKay
Wed, 6 December 2023 

Activists outside the factory this morning (Image: PA)

More than 100 activists have blockaded a factory in Glasgow in protest over its ties to Israel as they call for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza strip.

A blockade is in place at the BAE Systems factory in Govan by a group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators in co-ordination with the organisation Workers For A Free Palestine.

They are calling on the company to cut all ties to the state of Israel and cease all weapons, defence and supplies trading with the country.


The group are also calling for the UK government to back a permanent ceasefire, and for an end to the occupation of Palestine. Both the West Bank and Gaza are defined by the UK government as occupied territories.

Read More: Defence giant creates 300 new shipbuilding jobs in Glasgow

Simultaneous action is taking place at three other arms factories in the UK, in Bournemouth, Lancashire and Brighton, as well as in France, Denmark and the Netherlands.

BAE produces various components of weapons which are sold to Israel, including the F35 combat aircraft and the MK 38 Mod 2 machine gun system.

In November, HMS Diamond, a ship made at BAE Govan, was deployed to the Persian Gulf in response to 'rising tensions in the Middle East', while armour for the second batch of Type 26 frigates being built at the site for the Royal Navy was provided by the Israeli defence company Plasan.

Scottish Enterprise has given close to £10m to arms firms which supply weapons to Israel between 2016 and 2020, including £1.6m to BAE Systems.

The defence giant announced on Wednesday that it would add 300 more apprentices and graduates to its workforce in Scotland in 2024.

Those involved in the action said they were not looking to target the workers at the Govan plant, but rather the company itself.



The Herald:

Harsha, a carer aged 35, said: “It’s not right that BAE Systems profit from the genocide in Gaza.

"I’m also disgusted that whilst the Scottish Parliament have voted to back a ceasefire and the First Minister has spoken up in support of the Palestinian people, Scottish Enterprise has given funding to BAE.

"This public money, our money, should be invested in caring, not killing.”

Scott, a youth worker aged 26, said: “We are not here to shame or blame workers at BAE.

"The company’s management decides what to produce and who to sell to – it is them we hold accountable for being part of the chain of killing.”

Jay, a visual artist aged 24, said: “I will not stand by while civilians are murdered with weapons from companies like BAE, Thales and Leonardo, which all have significant presence in Scotland.

"I came here today to show that direct action is for everyone and that together, we can change the way the world turns.”

A Police Scotland Spokesperson said: "We are aware of a protest outside premises in Govan Road and officers are in attendance."

 

UK

No to the Telford Arms Fair! Protest on 20th November 2024

As evidence mounts that campaigning against arms companies is having a real impact, the Campaign Against the Arms Trade and others are planning a new protest this month.

The SDSC Arms Fair plans to return to Telford International Centre in November (18-20th). This arms fair, the Specialist Defence and Security Convention UK, focuses on military equipment for front-line infantry soldiers.

It will include exhibitors from a number of arms companies, including those deeply complicit in the Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, such as:

• Elbit Systems, manufacturer of bombs, mortars and drones, and Israel’s largest privately held arms company
• L3 Harris, maker of surveillance, night vision and targeting equipment and supplier of bomb release mechanisms for Israel’s F35 aircraft, which has been confirmed as being involved in the deaths of civilians in Gaza
• Ultra Electronics, which has been granted numerous arms export licences to Israel by the UK Government and has been involved in the development of the F35 warplane.

Stop SDSC-UK, a coalition of groups from the Quakers, Campaign Against the Arms Trade, Extinction Rebellion, Palestine Solidarity groups and others will be saying no to this dreadful arms fair.

The protest organisers say: “Telford International Centre should be where people go to enjoy fun events like bicycle or model shows, concerts or pantomimes: it should not be involved in death and destruction. This arms fair was chased out of Malvern, when it was called 3CDSE. We can tell this arms fair it is not welcome in Telford!

“We believe the arms industry has skills and capabilities that should be put to peaceful purposes, and want to see new, better jobs for those working in the industry, as part of a green transition.”

The UK is one of the biggest exporters of arms globally, including to repressive regimes and those suspected of violating international humanitarian law. It has sold billions of pounds worth of arms – including planes, bombs and missiles – to Saudi Arabia, despite the state waging a war in Yemen which has killed many civilians and created a humanitarian crisis. It is also a player in the current horrors in Palestine and Lebanon.

As well as the incalculable human cost of “bleeding edge technology”, the weapons industry also squanders resources badly needed in our society and drives climate breakdown.

Campaigning works!

After a year-long campaign against its premises by Palestine Action and local community groups, Barclays PLC has sold all of its shareholdings in Elbit Systems Ltd. Until recently, Barclays owned over 16,000 shares in Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons company.

Global Justice UK Director Nick Dearden hailed the decision as “fantastic news.”

Elbit Systems itself is also thought to be losing money at its drone engine factory near Birmingham, following years of campaigning by Palestine Action.

Get involved!

Check out the Stop SDSC website: tinyurl.com/STOPSDSC You can find maps, updates, and schedules as they become available via the Stop SDSC website or the CAAT Event page.

Image: https://flickr.com/photos/campaignagainstarmstrade/16578513455/in/photolist-rfZdsT-2jfQsz8-2nmkBTJ-2nmibnJ-2nmcRje-2nnVnCy-2nmi7SC-2nmcJkp-2nmhRor-2nmkm1b-2nmi89S-2nmi6w6-2nmi2N1-2nmj5mG-2nmkxKU-2nmibEV-2nmhTBu-2nmhSjQ-2nmhWVv-2nmhUmR-rdFR8q-2nmhQRj-pyusby-qjdHpx-rdFT5b-qYsquG-qj1w8j-VgnAbu-2nmi5vD-2nmhTSX-2aib7KQ-7zWc93-HzfzA7-JoAmJa-7uj6Zz-HzfBco-J5LVcJ-J5LoXW-LBkZ8-JmpkA3-JmpiyN-JmpeXE-HzfvHY-HzdPr6-HzdNUe-HzdNhx-JvnPqV-JmpqT7-JmpjAY-J5Lmwd. Campaign Against Arms Trade Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic CC BY-SA 2.0

UK

Arming Israel’s war on Gaza: Tory scandal, Labour shame

7th June 2024Leave a Commenton Arming Israel’s war on Gaza: Tory scandal, Labour shame

“Far from being gesture politics, the unwillingness of the US, UK, and other governments to halt arms sales has emboldened Israel which is pressing ahead with its attack on the Palestinian people in defiance of international law and international outrage.”

Carol Turner

By Carol Turner, Vice-Chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament & Convenor of CND’s International Advisory Group

If anything can convince the British government, out-going or in-coming, that the UK must halt arms exports to Israel, the Rafah offensive should. Day by day, hour by hour, the toll of Palestinian dead and injured slowly mounts. As far back as December President Netanyahu made clear that military operations would go on throughout 2024. In the midst of the Rafah carnage, and despite the international outcry, he recently reiterated this.

David Cameron has dismissed the idea of halting arms sales as gesture politics. Britain, he claims, supplies ‘less than 1% of Israel’s arms’.i Grant Shapps recently told parliament ‘defence exports to Israel are relatively small—just £42 million last year’.ii This deliberate misdirection is echoed by Labour.

The UK is among the world’s biggest arms exporters, the seventh largest in 2023.iii Arms manufacturers in Britain need a government licence to export military goods, software and technology overseas.iv Applications are evaluated against criteria which include Britain’s obligations under international law and the risk that exported items might be used in the violation of human rights.

No arms export licence should be granted if there’s a clear risk the items: v

• might be used to ‘commit or facilitate’ internal repression or a serious violation of international humanitarian law; or
• would undermine internal, regional, or international peace and security.

Existing licences can be revoked if they don’t match the criteria. But the government has resisted the introduction of post-shipment verification or end-use monitoring of military exports from the UK.vi

BAE Systems is a British company and leading supplier of parts for American F35 fighter bombers that the US supplies to Israel. They are being used against Gaza. Campaign Against Arms Trade and others point out that 15% of every US F35 supplied to Israel is built in the UK.vii

This means Britain is complicit in what’s happening to Palestinians across the Occupied Territories right now.

Individual MPs have spoken up. Leyla Moran, a British Palestinian and a LibDem MP broke the parliamentary consensus by speaking on national media about what was happening to her family there. Labour MPs Richard Burgon and Imran Hussain recently delivered a dossier of evidence on Israeli war crimes in Gaza to the International Criminal Court, evidence compiled from a series of panels they organised in parliament.

In April this year, UK opinion pollsviii showed a majority in favour of banning arms sales after aid workers were killed, including three UK citizens. Plaid Cymru wanted parliament reconvened. Green Party spokespeople have called for the cancelling of all arms export licences, and the LibDems and SNP want suspension.

Last October, Labour MP Zarah Sultana introduced a Private Members Bill calling for a halt to exports to countries ‘where it cannot be demonstrated that arms sold will not be used in violation of international law’ and led a Westminster Hall debate in December. At the end of March, recognising Israel would disregard the UN ceasefire resolution, she coordinated an open letter to Cameron, condemning the government’s failure to act, and calling again for a suspension of arms sales. It was signed by 134 parliamentarians from across the parties, including a Tory peer.

Under pressure from the solidarity movement which, week after week, has taken to the streets in cities and towns across the country, both Conservative and Labour have slowly been forced to increase criticism of Israel. To date, actions have not followed words. Not a single step towards halting British arms exports has been taken by the government, nor has any demand they do so come from the official opposition.

CND takes this issue very seriously indeed. Israel is one of only nine nuclear-armed states in the world, and the only one that doesn’t admit to having them. Israel has not signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty designed to limit their spread and secure nuclear disarmament.

The nuclear risks involved in the war on Gaza may not be as remote as they seem. Since the October attack by Hamas, a few Israeli politicians have floated the prospect of using nuclear weapons against Iran or Lebanon. Most of the drones and missiles Iran launched against Israel in April were taken out before they reached their targets. One missile was not. It successfully reached its target, Nevatim in southern Israel, near the Dimona nuclear facility.

Far from being gesture politics, the unwillingness of the US, UK, and other governments to halt arms sales has emboldened Israel which is pressing ahead with its attack on the Palestinian people in defiance of international law and international outrage.

The next 5 weeks of general election campaigning is an opportunity to make our voice heard by every candidate in every constituency across the country. CND members should act, and act now.

i David Cameron, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, 12 May 2024 at https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001z828/sunday-with-laura-kuenssberg-arms-to-israel-gaza-protests-eurovision

ii Grant Shapps, Hansard, House of Commons, 20 November 2023 at https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2023-11-20/debates/776C2068-C460-402F-8826-ECAE91256A56/UKArmsSalesToIsrael#contribution-7ACCD6F1-79D9-4859-9429-EFA71569E209

iii D Pieter et al, Trends in International Arms Transfers 2023, SIPRI at https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/2024-03/fs_2403_at_2023.pdf

iv Louisa Brooke-Holland, An introduction to UK arms exports, House of Commons Library Briefing, 24 January 2024 at https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8312/

v Louisa Brooke-Holland and Nigel Walker, Arms export licences for sales to Israel, Housse of Commons Library Briefing, 7 December, 2023 at https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CDP-2023-0223/CDP-2023-0223.pdf

vi Committees on Arms Export Controls (CAEC) joint report ‘Developments in UK Strategic Export Controls’, 9 January 2024 at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/caec-report-on-uk-strategic-export-controls-government-response

vii BAE Systems, F-35: a trusted partner on the world’s largest defence programme, at https://www.baesystems.com/en/product/f-35-lightning-ii

viii YouGov polls in March and April, reported by the Guardian and others, showed majority support for a suspension of arms sales to Israel, see for example https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/03/majority-of-voters-in-uk-back-banning-arm-sales-to-israel-poll-finds In May, YouGov found opinion had remained static: ‘56% would support the UK ending the sale of arms to Israel for the duration of the conflict in Gaza. Only 20% would oppose this move’ reported https://yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/49366-british-attitudes-to-the-israel-gaza-conflict-may-2024-update

WeThink digital polling, reported by Byline Times in April, found 68% of those surveyed would support a ban, compared to 32% who were opposed https://bylinetimes.com/2024/04/03/brits-want-the-uk-to-ban-arms-sales-to-israel-but-its-political-parties-arent-listening/

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• Carol Turner is Vice Chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. You can follow CND on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter/X.
• This was originally published by CND on 2nd June 2024.

ICYMI

‘The plan is just to kill’: personal testimonies of Israel’s genocide in Gaza


The British Palestinian Committee (BPC) and UK Gaza Community (UKGC) convened a press conference in London on 12 December 2024

 MEMO
December 13, 2024
by Nasim Ahmed
Nasimbythedocks

The British Palestinian Committee (BPC) and UK Gaza Community (UKGC) convened a press conference in London yesterday, bringing together healthcare workers and British-Palestinian voices to expose the scale of Israel’s systematic destruction of Gaza amid an enforced media blackout.

The event, held metres away from BBC Broadcasting House, aimed to break through the information vacuum created by Israel’s targeting of journalists and closure of the besieged Gaza Strip from the world. With 193 journalists killed since 7 October 2023 and systematic restrictions on media access, particularly in northern Gaza, evidence of massacres, mass executions and widespread destruction has largely fallen out of the news cycle.

The attacks in northern Gaza represent the most violent and brutal assaults in the history of Israel’s colonial occupation of Palestine, the organisers pointed out, as speakers prepared to share harrowing testimonies of death and devastation in the Gaza Strip.

Mai Annan, speaking via video link from Gaza where she leads the Reviving Gaza mutual aid project, provided a chilling account of Israeli military tactics. “We started hearing loudspeakers asking the men in the building to come out naked, then they asked the women and children to come out. They lined up the men, and the soldiers began firing at them randomly,” she recounted. “Many were killed, and some were wounded and left to bleed to death. Then they put all the women and children in one room and threw a gas grenade inside. It’s very clear to us that everyone is a target, and the plan is just to kill and kill more.”


They lined up the men, and the soldiers began firing at them randomly. Then they put all the women and children in one room and threw a gas grenade inside.

Dr Mahim Qureshi, a London-based vascular surgeon who recently returned in November after volunteering in Gaza detailed the catastrophic medical situation. “The types of injuries are predominantly blast injuries,” she explained, “but the degree of overcrowding and lack of hygiene, lack of antibiotics and high level of antibiotic resistance means people cannot fight basic infections.” She described how young girls arrived with gunshot wounds to the head, while doctors, lacking basic neurosurgical equipment, were forced to drill through skulls with inadequate tools in desperate attempts to save lives.

Hala Sabbah, the London-based coordinator of the Sameer Project aid group, explained how aid has been weaponised through systematic starvation. “Prior to the genocide 400-500 trucks entered Gaza, starting from October only 50 trucks were permitted,” she explained. “Zionists are collaborating with people on the ground to make sure these trucks are stolen. Not only are the number of trucks limited they are making sure it’s not reaching the victims. Palestinians pay thousands to buy the basic necessities.”

WATCH: Israeli occupation soldier plays sadistic games with toys of Gaza children

Dr Mohamed Ashraf, who worked in northern Gaza during the initial phase of Israel’s assault, shared devastating evidence of the targeting of medical personnel. He displayed photographs of murdered colleagues, speaking of Dr Mosab Sama, abducted from Nasser Hospital with no information about his whereabouts, and Dr Maisara Rais, killed and still buried under rubble with his family. Of his own family’s fate, he explained how he has been contacting hospitals to see if they received the bodies of his wife and daughter – their silence the only indication they might still be alive.

Ahmed Najjar, born in Jabaliya refugee camp, provided testimony of living there for 55 years before this assault. “This wasn’t just another military campaign,” he said, “this was an attempt to erase an entire people. North of Gaza is stripped of its humanity and its home.” His sister was told at gunpoint to abandon her son, while his brother watched helplessly. His father, older than the state of Israel, initially refused to move, saying he was tired of being displaced, before Israel’s relentless bombardment finally forced him to flee to Gaza City.


The British Palestinian Committee (BPC) and UK Gaza Community (UKGC) convened a press conference in London on 12 December 2024

Dr Loai Nasir reported that 400,000 people remain besieged in northern Gaza, facing severe food insecurity as Israeli authorities consistently deny food deliveries. Ibrahim Assalia testified about the use of unknown chemical agents, describing how his father died after inhaling an Israeli substance. Speaking recently with his family, they told him “they are dying of hunger. People in north Gaza are feeding on grass and trees.”

The conference also unveiled new evidence of British complicity in Israel’s military campaign. A comprehensive report launched by the BPC detailed how British military infrastructure actively supports Israel’s assault on Gaza. Khem Rogaly explained that Britain’s military collaboration “goes far beyond licensing exports.” Britain’s global F35 programmes and export of components are essential for Israel to fly the F35 and bomb Gaza. British parts are central to the regular repairs needed to maintain Israel’s bombing campaign.

The human cost of Britain’s military support was further illustrated through testimony about the devastating medical situation in Gaza. Qureshi described how chronic illnesses are killing Gazans but their numbers are not added to the death toll. She noted that what she witnessed in the south could not compare to the horror unfolding in the north. Healthcare workers shared accounts of performing surgeries without anaesthesia, while Ashraf recounted doctors watching helplessly as patients died from treatable conditions due to lack of basic medical supplies. The toll on medical staff has been both physical and mental, with many forced to work through their own trauma while treating an endless stream of casualties

The systematic targeting of healthcare workers emerged as a recurring theme. According to figures presented at the conference, some 1,800 healthcare workers have been killed since October 2023, with 319 health workers currently detained by Israeli occupation forces. Ashraf spoke of being trained to deal with crises, but never having faced anything like this current situation, with no medical supplies reaching Gaza.

Sabbah detailed how the starvation of Gaza is being systematically engineered. To buy vegetables in northern Gaza now costs hundreds of dollars, she explained. “It’s not a famine,” she emphasised. “It’s manufactured starvation by Israel.”

READ: Smotrich: Without us in the cabinet, the war on Gaza would have ended earlier

“I’m not asking western leaders to see us as humans,” Najjar stated in his closing remarks. “Stop pretending, stop lecturing. We see through your hypocrisy. You think you can erase us – you will not, you will fail.”

The testimonies presented paint a harrowing picture of systematic destruction aimed at making Gaza uninhabitable. Speakers emphasised that while mainstream media attention has shifted elsewhere, the situation in northern Gaza continues to deteriorate, with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians facing what the UN has described as catastrophic hunger.

The evidence presented of British military support for Israel’s campaign comes as legal experts increasingly warn that Israel’s actions constitute genocide. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is currently investigating genocide charges against Israel following South Africa’s legal action, while the UN’s recent report found Israel’s military actions in Gaza to be consistent with genocidal intent. Amnesty International has joined a growing chorus of human rights organisations in concluding that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute genocide.

The press conference highlighted how Israel’s media blackout serves to conceal the scale of destruction in Gaza from international scrutiny. Through harrowing firsthand testimonies, damning evidence of British military support and documented accounts of systematic starvation and medical deprivation, the event provided a devastating glimpse of the genocide unfolding in Gaza.

 

Lakenheath Blockade Breaks the Silence on US Nukes Returning to Britain

Leave a Commenton Lakenheath Blockade Breaks the Silence on US Nukes Returning to Britain

“Lakenheath, in the heart of the Suffolk countryside, has the biggest presence of US military forces in Britain – exposing its less than honest claim to be an RAF base.”

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) Vice Chair Carol Turner reports on a successful blockade of Lakenheath last Saturday.

Despite government silence, news that US nuclear weapons are returning to Britain is at last beginning to get through. CND members from across the country gathered at the main gate of Lakenheath airbase to join a blockade which marked the end of a successful two-week peace camp, organised by the Lakenheath Alliance for Peace (LAP) coalition.

Lakenheath, in the heart of the Suffolk countryside, has the biggest presence of US military forces in Britain – exposing its less than honest claim to be an RAF base. Lakenheath hosts the US Airforce 48th Fighter Wing, tasked with providing ‘worldwide responsive combat airpower and support’ which is ‘capable of dominating any adversary’.

Palestinians are among the so-called adversaries the US forces based there are currently helping to ‘dominate’. F35 bombers fly from Lakenheath, in support of Israel’s attacks on the Occupied territories.

LAP activities during the April peace camp included a War Crimes and Genocide Day highlighting the complicity of the US, UK, and NATO in Israel’s genocidal war against Gaza. Past attacks from Lakenheath include Libya in 1986 and combat missions against Afghanistan from 2001 and Iraq in 2023. Other peace camp activity days included an international conference attended by guests from across Europe and beyond, and a Greenham Women day.

Around 250 people took part in the blockade on Saturday 26 April, including two CND coaches from London. An impressive list of banners. I recall seeing them from Wales, York, Plymouth, Quakers, London Peace Pagoda – including nearby Norwich and Cambridge.

Fine weather and a carnival atmosphere notwithstanding, there were seven arrests from among those who chose not to heed the police call to disperse at the end of the afternoon.

CND General Secretary Sophie Bolt said nuclear weapons don’t make us safer, they make us a target. She expressed solidarity with those arrested after the successful three-hour shut down of the main entrance to the base. “Rather than arresting people for peacefully protesting the return of US nuclear weapons to Britain,” Sophie said, “the clear violations of international law facilitated by the British government should be investigated.“

Visit CND for more information on US nuclear weapons coming to Britain and what you can do.

Lakenheath Alliance for Peace is a coalition of local, national, and international groups dedicated to preventing the return of US nuclear weapons to Lakenheath. LAP holds monthly vigils at the base.

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• Carol Turner is Vice Chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). You can follow her on Twitter/X, and CND on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X and TikTok.
• You can follow the Lakenheath Alliance for Peace on Facebook, Twitter/X, Bluesky and YouTube.
• If you support Labour Outlook’s work amplifying the voices of left movements and struggles here and internationally, please consider becoming a supporter on Patreon.