The Florida–Israel Defense-Tech File · Drones · Defense · State programs
Records and credited reporting · checked Oct. 20, 2026
Israeli-linked drone and defense firms are building in Florida.
Their federal contracts are public. The state’s deals mostly are not.
Elbit Systems’ U.S. arm makes Navy sonobuoys in DeLeon Springs and Army tank parts in Boca Raton. XTEND builds small attack and reconnaissance drones in Tampa. The air-taxi developer AIR announced its U.S. headquarters at SunTrax, a state-owned test campus in Polk County, on terms no one has published. Here is what each company does in Florida, the public money and programs involved, where human-rights groups say their products have been used, who has cut ties with them, whether Florida treats them differently from firms of other countries, and what the records do not show.
Israeli and Israel-linked companies that make drones, defense equipment or police technology, and what they do in Florida.
“Israel-linked” is stated precisely for each: an Israeli parent company, Israeli founders, or Israeli headquarters. These are the companies with a real Florida operation or a Florida government contract.
AIR (AIR VEV Inc.; product AIR ONE) -- the editor's 'AirOne'Israel link: Israeli-founded eVTOL start-up (founded 2017; CEO and co-founder Rani Plaut). AeroTime places its headquarters in Pardes Hanna-Karkur, Israel, and calls the builder AIR VEV Ltd.; the NTSB's post names 'Air VEV Inc.' (Wikipedia's Kfar Yona location is unverified and conflicts).In Florida: Flight-test site near West Palm Beach since 2025 (company blog, Sept. 3, 2025); prototype crash Oct. 23, 2025 in a field near Indiantown; U.S. headquarters and planned production hub in about 20,000 sq ft at FDOT's SunTrax campus, Auburndale, Polk County, announced Aug. 11, 2026. Sunbiz registration not checked (site blocked).Makes: AIR ONE two-seat personal electric VTOL; uncrewed heavy-lift cargo eVTOL (AIR Cargo).
XTEND (XTEND Reality Inc.; since Sept. 2026 parent XTEND AI Robotics, NYSE: XTND)Israel link: Founded 2018 in Tel Aviv by Israelis Aviv Shapira (CEO) and Rubi Liani (CTO); develops drones for the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli Ministry of Defense. Merged with Lantana, Fla.-based JFB Construction Holdings in a deal that closed about Sept. 4, 2026.In Florida: U.S. headquarters and production site at 5247 Crossroads Park Dr., Tampa (Hillsborough County), per Sunbiz and Business Observer; opened May 2025 with a July 1, 2025 ribbon-cutting. Reported size differs: more than 5,700 sq ft (TBBW) vs. 10,000 sq ft (Business Observer). XTEND Reality Inc. has been registered in Florida since Oct. 2021; XTEND AI Robotics, Inc registered May 2026 at the same address. Merger partner JFB Construction Holdings is datelined Lantana, Palm Beach County.Makes: Small human-guided / AI-assisted drones: Wolverine, Griffon interceptor, XTENDER indoor micro-drone, Skylord, one-way-attack (OWA) kits, STRIKER systems; XOS operating system.
Elbit Systems Ltd. / Elbit Systems of America (renamed Twenty-Six Defense in Sept. 2026); Florida units Sparton DeLeon Springs LLC (now operating as Twenty-Six Defense Maritime) and Real-Time Laboratories LLC (Boca Raton)Israel link: Elbit Systems Ltd. is among Israel's largest defense companies, headquartered in Haifa, publicly traded (SEC filer, Form 20-F). Elbit Systems of America, LLC is its wholly owned U.S. subsidiary (Fort Worth, Texas), rebranded Twenty-Six Defense, announced Sept. 8, 2026. Elbit acquired IMI Systems (formerly Israel Military Industries) on Nov. 25, 2018 for about $495 million.In Florida: Two Florida operating facilities listed in Elbit's FY2022 Form 20-F: Boca Raton (engineering/manufacturing) and De Leon Springs (engineering/manufacturing, sonobuoys). Sparton DeLeon Springs LLC, 5612 Johnson Lake Rd, De Leon Springs, Volusia County (acquired with Sparton Corp. in April 2021; reported price about $380M); new production-support facility ribbon-cutting Jan. 23, 2024. Real-Time Laboratories LLC, 990 S. Rogers Cir., Ste. 5, Boca Raton (Palm Beach County), hydraulic and electro-mechanical parts, M1 Abrams components. No Melbourne, Orlando or Tampa Elbit facility found.Makes: Florida: sonobuoys and undersea-warfare sensors for the U.S. Navy (Sparton); hydraulic servovalves, turret manifolds and grip assemblies for M1 Abrams tanks (RTL). Parent company (not made in Florida): Hermes drones, artillery and tank ammunition (incl. IMI-designed M339 120mm round), MPR 500 bomb bodies, guided mortars, ATMOS artillery, border surveillance towers.
Duke Robotics Corp. (formerly UAS Drone Corp.; Nasdaq: DUKR since 2026, previously OTCQB); Israeli subsidiary Duke Airborne Systems Ltd.Israel link: Nevada corporation whose operating subsidiary, Duke Airborne Systems Ltd., is incorporated in Israel; principal executive office in Mevo Carmel / Tirat Carmel, Israel per SEC 10-K filings; TIKAD marketing approved by Israel's Ministry of Defense; worldwide exclusive license for TIKAD granted to Elbit Systems Land Ltd. in Jan. 2021.In Florida: The shell parent UAS Drone Corp. listed 420 Royal Palm Way, Suite 100, Palm Beach, FL as its rent-free principal office in its FY2016 10-K; 2017 trade press called Duke 'Florida-based'. Its FY2020 and FY2025 10-Ks disclose a right to use office space and administrative services at an unnamed location in Florida; its Aug. 2026 S-3 lists no Florida address. No Fort Lauderdale address, Florida employees or Florida operations found.Makes: TIKAD / 'Bird of Prey' stabilized robotic weapon mount for drones (small arms, 40mm grenade launcher); IC Drone insulator-cleaning drone for Israel Electric Corp.; AEROTRACE monitoring product.
Cellebrite DI Ltd. / Cellebrite Inc. (U.S.)Israel link: Incorporated in Israel; principal executive office 94 Shlomo Shmelzer Road, Petah Tikva, Israel (FY2025 Form 20-F). U.S. subsidiary Cellebrite Inc., Parsippany/Tysons.In Florida: An office in Delray Beach, listed in its FY2025 annual report; it came with Cellebrite's December 2025 purchase of Corellium, a Delray Beach company. Florida government customer: Miami-Dade Police Department (designated-purchase contracts).Makes: Phone and digital-forensics extraction tools (UFED, Pathfinder, Guardian, Premium Enterprise).
An Israeli air-taxi maker announced its U.S. headquarters at a state-owned test campus. The terms of the deal have not been published.
SunTrax is a Florida Department of Transportation test campus in Auburndale, Polk County, run by Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise. It was built for self-driving road vehicles and opened in 2023; in 2025-26 FDOT added “SunTrax Air,” a test area for air taxis and drones. In August 2026 AIR, an Israeli developer of electric vertical-takeoff aircraft, announced a “partnership” with FDOT to put its U.S. headquarters and a production and flight-test hub there. Neither AIR nor the state has published what AIR pays, for how long, or whether it gets any incentive.
Company saysAIR announced on Aug. 11, 2026 that it will base its U.S. headquarters and an eVTOL production and flight-operations hub at FDOT's SunTrax campus in Auburndale under what both sides call a partnership.Sources: AIR via PR Newswire, Aug. 11, 2026; Airframer, Aug. 12, 2026; SunTrax (FDOT), Oct. 20, 2026.
Company saysAIR says it has set up in about 20,000 square feet on the SunTrax campus and plans to expand; it plans to start U.S. manufacturing of AIR ONE and its cargo aircraft by the end of 2026.Sources: AIR via PR Newswire, Aug. 11, 2026; Airframer, Aug. 12, 2026.
RecordNo published record found states AIR's lease, rent, term, hangar terms, or any state incentive. AIR's release says only that FDOT will work with AIR on longer-term manufacturing needs; FDOT's and the governor's Aug. 10 releases do not name AIR at all.Sources: Florida Department of Transportation, Aug. 10, 2026; Executive Office of the Governor, Aug. 10, 2026; AIR via PR Newswire, Aug. 11, 2026; AIN (FutureFlight), Aug. 11, 2026; Aviation Week, Aug. 12, 2026; VINnews, Aug. 17, 2026.
RecordGov. DeSantis spoke beside an AIR ONE at SunTrax on Aug. 10, 2026 and said eVTOL testing would be under way in Florida by year-end; state releases did not name AIR or describe any deal terms.Sources: Florida Department of Transportation, Aug. 10, 2026; Executive Office of the Governor, Aug. 10, 2026; AIN (FutureFlight), Aug. 11, 2026.
RecordA second foreign aircraft developer, UK-based Skyfly Technologies, signed only a letter of intent with FDOT, with a formal lease still to be negotiated and occupancy targeted for Q4 2026; SunTrax said it would help Skyfly with workforce, grant guidance and FAA introductions. This shows SunTrax is courting multiple tenants; AIR's terms are not published for comparison.Sources: SunTrax (FDOT), Aug. 11, 2026; SunTrax (FDOT), Oct. 20, 2026.
RecordSunTrax is an FDOT / Florida's Turnpike Enterprise transportation-technology test campus in Auburndale, Polk County, built first for connected and autonomous road vehicles (2.25-mile oval, urban/suburban test areas) on 475 acres and opened in June 2023; it has since grown to about 775 acres and added 'SunTrax Air,' which FDOT calls the nation's first dedicated advanced-air-mobility aerial test track, with two vertiports (per WUSF).Sources: Florida Department of Transportation, Aug. 10, 2026; Florida's Turnpike Enterprise, June 12, 2023; WUSF, Aug. 11, 2026.
RecordA 2026 state law (HB 1093) lets FDOT fund all project costs of a public or private vertiport when no federal money is available, or up to 80% of the non-federal share otherwise; the committee staff analysis lists no specific appropriation.Sources: Florida House of Representatives, Feb. 2, 2026; Florida House of Representatives, April 21, 2026.
ReportedAn uncrewed AIR prototype crashed and burned in a rural field near Indiantown on Oct. 23, 2025; no injuries were reported and the NTSB opened an investigation.Who says so: AeroTime (Stephen Pope), citing NTSBResponse: AIR told AeroTime it was working with the NTSB to find the root cause and would release details after validation.Sources: AeroTime, Oct. 28, 2025.
What SunTrax cost
| Figure | What it measures | Source |
|---|---|---|
| $42 million | Original 475-acre test-site project at its 2017 groundbreaking, about $5 million of it for land | The Ledger |
| $48 million | “Phase 1,” per a 2020 transportation-awards entry | America’s Transportation Awards |
| $139.9 million | Winning construction bid for the main campus build-out | Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise presentation, 2020 |
| $141.2 million | Construction cost | St. Pete Catalyst, 2022 |
| $150.6 million | Total project cost | America’s Transportation Awards entry, 2023 |
| Not published | The newer SunTrax Air expansion (vertiports, taxiways, hangar, charging) | No source found |
These figures measure different things at different dates and are not added together. The Ledger (via Transport Topics), Nov. 16, 2017; Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (presentation by Scott Cater, ITS Florida chapter), March 1, 2020; St. Pete Catalyst, Sept. 16, 2022; America's Transportation Awards, Aug. 3, 2023; America's Transportation Awards, Aug. 10, 2020.
RecordThe cost of the newer SunTrax Air expansion (vertiports, taxiways, hangar, charging) built by a Prince Contracting (FlatironDragados) and Turner Construction joint venture has not been published in any source found.Sources: FlatironDragados, Aug. 24, 2026; Florida House of Representatives, Feb. 2, 2026; Florida House of Representatives, April 21, 2026; FDOT (posted on SunTrax site), Nov. 1, 2025.
ReportedThe '$200 million' figure appears to match a separate item: a proposal reported by the Miami Herald for FDOT to redirect about $197 million in federal NEVI electric-vehicle charging funds to a 32-site 'Aerial Highway Network' for air taxis. As reported, that proposal needs federal approval and is not SunTrax's construction cost or money for AIR.Who says so: Miami Herald (as summarized by Roads & Bridges and WUSF)Sources: Roads & Bridges, Aug. 7, 2026; WUSF, Aug. 11, 2026.
What these records do not show: AIR’s lease, rent, term or any cash or tax incentive. Whether AIR received “perks” other tenants did not cannot be judged until FDOT releases the agreement; we have asked for it. No record shows SunTrax cost $200 million; the closest figure, about $197 million, is a separate, unapproved proposal to redirect federal EV-charger money to a statewide air-taxi network.
Israel’s Elbit Systems owns two Florida plants that make Navy sonobuoys and Army tank parts, paid for by federal defense contracts.
Elbit Systems, based in Haifa, is among Israel’s largest defense companies. Its U.S. arm, Elbit Systems of America, renamed itself Twenty-Six Defense in September 2026. In Florida it owns Sparton in DeLeon Springs (Volusia County), which makes sonobuoys for the U.S. Navy, and Real-Time Laboratories in Boca Raton, which makes hydraulic parts for the Army’s M1 Abrams tank. The large sums are federal contracts. The only Florida public money found is a 2019 county grant to Sparton, two years before Elbit bought it.
RecordElbit's FY2022 annual report (Form 20-F) lists two Florida operating facilities for Elbit Systems of America: Boca Raton and De Leon Springs, both with engineering and manufacturing; De Leon Springs is the Sparton sonobuoy plant.Sources: U.S. SEC (Elbit Systems Ltd.), March 30, 2023.
RecordElbit Systems of America completed its purchase of Sparton Corp., headquartered in De Leon Springs, from a Cerberus affiliate in early April 2021 (Cerberus announced it April 6; Elbit's 20-F gives April 4). Marine Technology News reported about $380 million; Elbit's 20-F gives about $350 million net of cash acquired.Sources: Business Wire (Cerberus), April 6, 2021; Marine Technology News, April 6, 2021; U.S. SEC (Elbit Systems Ltd.), March 30, 2023.
ReportedElbit Systems of America announced on Sept. 8, 2026 that it is now Twenty-Six Defense; a company release says Sparton and Logos Technologies now operate as Twenty-Six Defense Maritime, with Sparton kept as a sonobuoy product brand. The company said the name stresses its American market; Ynet's headline tied the change to criticism over the Gaza war.Who says so: Defense News (Leigh Giangreco); Ynet (Daniel Edelson); BlockonomiResponse: CEO Luke Savoie said the change underscores growth in the U.S. market and the number 26 (iron's atomic number) signals durabilitySources: Defense News, Sept. 9, 2026; Ynet, Sept. 10, 2026; Seapower (Twenty-Six Defense press release), Sept. 9, 2026; Blockonomi, Sept. 9, 2026.
RecordUSAspending lists Navy contract awards to Sparton DeLeon Springs LLC with Florida place of performance including $107.9 million (AN/SSQ-125 sonobuoys, FY25 order), $106.4 million (AN/SSQ-125, FY24), and $83.6 million (AN/SSQ-53H, June 2025); a March 2026 order for $91.9 million is listed with Indiana as place of performance.Sources: USAspending.gov, Oct. 20, 2026.
RecordReal-Time Laboratories LLC in Boca Raton, a business flagged 'foreign owned' in federal data, holds Defense Logistics Agency and Navy awards for M1 Abrams tank hydraulic valves and grip assemblies, the largest $5.35 million (May 2019). The Army picked RTL in 2019 to develop Abrams turret distribution manifolds.Sources: USAspending.gov, Oct. 20, 2026; ExecutiveBiz, Aug. 15, 2019.
RecordIn June 2019, before Elbit owned it, Volusia County awarded Sparton DeLeon Springs a $500,000 reimbursement grant from its economic-development incentive account, under a new water-quality program, to help build an on-site wastewater system that cuts nitrogen discharge near DeLeon Springs.Sources: Volusia County Government, June 13, 2019.
ReportedState and Sparton officials cut the ribbon on Sparton's new production-support facility in DeLeon Springs on Jan. 23, 2024; WFTV's coverage quoted U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz but did not explicitly say he attended. Reports gave no job, investment or incentive figures.Who says so: WFTV (Brittany Caldwell; James Tutten)Sources: WFTV, Jan. 23, 2024.
ReportedProtesters rallied outside Elbit's Real-Time Laboratories site in Boca Raton on Nov. 9, 2023; an Elbit America spokesperson said the site mainly supplies custom hydraulic and electro-mechanical products and that the company respects peaceful protest.Who says so: Miami New Times (no byline)Response: Elbit America statement quoted in articleSources: Miami New Times, Nov. 9, 2023.
RecordElbit Systems of America's federal PAC (FEC ID C00437566) gave $10,000 to Michael Waltz for Congress in four checks from March 2023 to January 2024. Waltz then represented Florida's 6th District, which USAspending lists for the DeLeon Springs plant, and was quoted in coverage of Sparton's January 2024 ribbon-cutting. The PAC also gave $1,000 to Laurel Lee (Tampa), $500 to Cory Mills, and $1,500 to Randy Fine for Congress (January 2025).Sources: Federal Election Commission, Aug. 31, 2026; ProPublica FEC Itemizer (FEC Schedule B data), Jan. 13, 2025; WFTV, Jan. 23, 2024; USAspending.gov, Oct. 20, 2026.
RecordFEC summary data show the Elbit America PAC gave $95,000 to other committees from Jan. 1, 2025 to Aug. 31, 2026; itemized recipients for that period were only partly retrievable, so Florida recipients in 2025-26 beyond Randy Fine's $1,500 are unverified.Sources: Federal Election Commission, Aug. 31, 2026.
What these records do not show: any link between products made in Florida and any strike in Gaza, Lebanon or elsewhere. The federal PAC contributions are small and are not evidence of any official act. No state incentive award to an Elbit unit was found; the state’s incentives database was not searched.
Human-rights groups and news outlets have tied specific Elbit and XTEND products to specific strikes. Each claim names who made it and how Israel responded.
These are claims about the companies’ products in general, made in Israel or elsewhere, not about anything made in Florida. Where a group made an allegation, we say which group, about which product and which incident, and we give the Israeli military’s or the company’s response. Israel is not a party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions or to the protocol of the weapons convention that restricts incendiary weapons.
White phosphorus and flechettes: what the record shows. No non-U.S. organization was found that ties a specific white-phosphorus or flechette munition used by Israel to Elbit or IMI. Amnesty International's Feb. 2009 'Fuelling conflict' report (MDE 15/012/2009) identified the white-phosphorus shells it found in Gaza as U.S.-made M825A1 rounds, one carrying a Pine Bluff Arsenal lot number. It documented flechette tank-shell deaths without naming a maker and quoted a 2001 Jane's source saying Israel got its flechettes from the U.S. after 1973. That report mentions Elbit only over UK engines in Hermes 450 drones, and IMI only as an importer of Balkan small-arms ammunition. Amnesty's Oct. 2023 Lebanon release identified M825A1/D528 (U.S. codes) shells and said it could not confirm where they were made. HRW's 2009 'Rain of Fire' said all the white-phosphorus shells it found came from one 1989 U.S. lot made by Thiokol (it also cited a Reuters photo of 1991 Pine Bluff-lot shells with IDF units) and named IMI only as maker of the M116A1 non-incendiary smoke shell, which HRW offered as an alternative. HRW also found 120mm white-phosphorus mortar remnants in Gaza in 2009 without naming a maker. Neither the UN Special Rapporteur's 2025 report nor CAAT's Elbit profile mentions white phosphorus or flechettes. The Elbit link comes from two sources. First, Elbit's own FY2012 Form 20-F says the company develops and supplies 'white phosphorus (WP) and smoke mortars.' That record shows the product line, not use in any incident. Second, the U.S. group AFSC says Elbit makes 'weaponized white phosphorus, and flechette projectiles.' For white phosphorus AFSC cites that 2012 filing; it gives no source for flechettes. Australia's Crikey (Bernard Keane, 2024) wrote that Elbit made white-phosphorus munitions in the past but has not reported doing so in about a decade. No Palestine Action, Who Profits or Al-Haq claim on Elbit and white phosphorus or flechettes was found; those pages were partly unreachable.
AllegationAmnesty International concluded the Oct. 13, 2023 strike in south Lebanon that killed Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah and injured six other journalists was most likely a 120mm tank round, an M339 made by IMI Systems, and said it must be investigated as a war crime. Amnesty did not name Elbit; IMI has been an Elbit subsidiary since Nov. 2018, and the round's production date is not known. UNIFIL found an Israeli tank fired two 120mm rounds; Reuters, AFP and HRW also attributed the strike to Israeli forces without naming a model.Who says so: Amnesty International; UNIFIL (reported by Reuters/CPJ); AFP; CNNResponse: IDF spokesperson Richard Hecht told Reuters 'We don't target journalists'; the IDF said the incident was under review. Israel's UN envoy Gilad Erdan said Israel would never want to shoot a journalist (per Amnesty). Israel had not answered Amnesty's letters.Sources: Amnesty International UK, Dec. 7, 2023; CNN (via KEYT), Dec. 7, 2023; AFP (via Medyascope), Dec. 7, 2023; Committee to Protect Journalists, March 29, 2024; U.S. SEC (Elbit Systems Ltd.), Nov. 25, 2018.
AllegationHuman Rights Watch found that a March 27, 2024 strike on an emergency-relief center in Habbarieh, Lebanon, that killed seven volunteers used a U.S. Boeing JDAM guidance kit on an Israeli-made 500-pound bomb with a fragment marked 'MPR 500,' which HRW tied to Elbit; HRW called it an unlawful attack that should be investigated as an apparent war crime.Who says so: Human Rights WatchResponse: Israeli military said it struck a 'military compound' and killed a militant; the named group denied any link to the centerSources: Human Rights Watch, May 7, 2024; American Friends Service Committee, Aug. 27, 2025.
ReportedHaaretz, citing defense sources, reported that a Hermes 450 drone (an Elbit product) fired the missiles that killed seven World Central Kitchen workers in Gaza on April 1, 2024; CNN said it could not yet confirm the drone type.Who says so: Haaretz (as reported by CNN); AFSC; APResponse: Netanyahu said Israeli forces unintentionally struck innocent people; the IDF dismissed two officers and reprimanded three after finding the targeted cars were misidentified.Sources: CNN (via WRAL), April 3, 2024; Associated Press (via PBS NewsHour), April 5, 2024; Axios, April 5, 2024; American Friends Service Committee, Aug. 27, 2025.
RecordWhite phosphorus: HRW documented Israeli use of U.S.-made 155mm M825-series white phosphorus shells in Gaza in 2008-09 and identified airburst white phosphorus in Lebanon in 2023-24 and March 2026, without naming a maker for the recent munitions. Separately, Elbit's FY2012 annual report to the SEC lists white phosphorus mortar bombs among products it develops and supplies, and AFSC says Elbit made such munitions until at least 2012. No source found ties an Elbit- or IMI-made white phosphorus munition to a documented strike. In 2009 HRW noted that IMI makes non-incendiary smoke shells as an alternative.Response: In 2013 Israel's military said it would significantly cut use of white-phosphorus smoke shells in urban areas but might still use them for screening; on Oct. 12, 2023 its spokesman denied using white phosphorus in Lebanon and Gaza. HRW says airburst use over populated areas is unlawfully indiscriminate. Israel is not party to CCW Protocol III.Sources: Human Rights Watch, March 25, 2009; Human Rights Watch, June 5, 2024; Human Rights Watch, March 9, 2026; Scripps News, Dec. 11, 2023; U.S. SEC (Elbit Systems Ltd.), April 30, 2013; American Friends Service Committee (AFSC Investigate), Oct. 20, 2026.
AllegationCluster munitions: Israel Military Industries (later IMI Systems) made the M85 submunitions Israel used widely in Lebanon in 2006 (HRW), before Elbit bought IMI. Elbit said after the purchase that IMI would stop cluster-munition work, and in 2020 a company representative said Elbit had stopped producing M99 submunitions. The Cluster Munition Monitor reports alleged Israeli use in Lebanon in 2023-24 of M999 and Ra'am Eitan cluster munitions that appear to have been made in Israel in 2017-19, and apparent use in Gaza and Lebanon of 120mm M329 APAM tank rounds that it says may meet the treaty definition; it names no maker for these. The 2025 U.S. M999-type contract went to Tomer, an IMI spin-off not sold to Elbit. AFSC notes that several investors (HSBC, KLP, Australia's Future Fund) divested from Elbit over cluster-munition concerns, which Elbit disputes.Who says so: Human Rights Watch (2008); Cluster Munition Monitor (2018; profile updated Aug. 2026); AFSC InvestigateResponse: Israel says cluster munitions have military value and their use is legal; IDF neither confirmed nor denied recent useSources: Human Rights Watch, Feb. 16, 2008; Cluster Munition Monitor, Aug. 1, 2018; Cluster Munition Monitor, Aug. 24, 2026; U.S. SEC (Elbit Systems Ltd.), Nov. 25, 2018; American Friends Service Committee (AFSC Investigate), Oct. 20, 2026.
AllegationFlechettes: Israel's Supreme Court in 2003 held flechette tank shells are not banned by the laws of war; the UN Goldstone mission said their use in Gaza breached proportionality and precaution principles; in 2010 Israel said it was replacing U.S.-made flechette shells with Israeli-made anti-personnel shells. An AFSC profile says Elbit makes flechette projectiles but cites no source for that, and no source found names Elbit or IMI as the maker of flechette rounds used in Gaza.Who says so: Israel Supreme Court (HCJ 8990/02); UN Fact-Finding Mission (Goldstone) and Reuters, as reported by Global News; AFSC InvestigateResponse: IDF said it only uses weapons lawful under international lawSources: Supreme Court of Israel (HCJ 8990/02), hosted by HRW, April 27, 2003; Global News, July 21, 2014; American Friends Service Committee (AFSC Investigate), Oct. 20, 2026.
AllegationA 2025 report by UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese named Elbit Systems and IAI for their role in developing drones among 48 companies she said profit from Israel's war in Gaza; AFSC lists Elbit products (Hermes drones, MPR 500 bombs, 155mm shells, M339 rounds) as used in Gaza and Lebanon.Who says so: UN Special Rapporteur (A/HRC/59/23, as reported by Al Jazeera/Reuters); American Friends Service CommitteeResponse: Israel called the report legally groundless and defamatory; 18 of 48 named companies replied to the rapporteur, and whether Elbit did is not statedSources: Al Jazeera (reporting on UN Special Rapporteur report A/HRC/59/23), July 3, 2025; American Friends Service Committee, Aug. 27, 2025; Action on Armed Violence, Nov. 5, 2024.
ReportedAOAV reported Elbit is the IDF's exclusive 155mm artillery-shell supplier and won a roughly $60 million contract in August 2023 for tens of thousands of shells.Who says so: Action on Armed ViolenceSources: Action on Armed Violence, Nov. 5, 2024.
ReportedGlobes reported in May 2024 that four types of XTEND drones assisted IDF missions in Gaza, including surveying tunnels, dropping grenades and crashing into militants; XTEND told the Wall Street Journal in December 2023 that the IDF was using its systems to drop grenades.Who says so: Globes (Assaf Gilead); XTEND to WSJ, as cited by The Intercept and Tampa Bay TimesSources: Globes, May 8, 2024; The Intercept, Aug. 1, 2024; Tampa Bay Times, Aug. 19, 2025.
ReportedReuters described as unsourced the media reports crediting an XTEND drone with filming Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar shortly before he was killed in Gaza in October 2024; XTEND's CEO declined to comment, as did the IDF and Israel's defense ministry.Who says so: Reuters (via Cyprus Mail); The New ArabResponse: Shapira declined to comment (Reuters)Sources: Reuters (via Cyprus Mail), Feb. 1, 2025; The New Arab, Nov. 14, 2025.
Company saysXTEND's CEO said at the Tampa opening that the company's drones are used in five conflicts, including Ukraine; no independent record confirming Ukrainian purchases was found.Sources: FOX 13 Tampa Bay, July 1, 2025.
ReportedThe Intercept reported in 2024 that XTEND solicited U.S. tax-deductible donations to supply drones to IDF units; the fundraising page came down after inquiries and the sponsoring charities disavowed the campaign. The Intercept cited Euro-Med Monitor reports of civilian deaths from similar quadcopters but did not attribute any specific incident to XTEND.Who says so: The Intercept (Akela Lacy, Sam Biddle)Response: XTEND did not respond; AlmaLinks and FJC disavowed the campaignSources: The Intercept, Aug. 1, 2024.
Investors, governments and human-rights groups have dropped or criticized Elbit and Cellebrite. Some sales went to countries at war.
Divestments, exclusions, cancelled contracts and protests, with each company’s response. Sales to countries at war are listed with who reported them; arms-transfer estimates name what they measure.
Elbit Systems
RecordNorway's Council on Ethics recommended on May 15, 2009 that the Government Pension Fund Global exclude Elbit. Its stated ground was Elbit's supply of the 'Torch' electronic surveillance system for Israel's West Bank separation barrier. The Council called the barrier's route contrary to international law, citing the 2004 ICJ advisory opinion, and called Torch a functionally integrated part of it. It said the investment posed an unacceptable risk of complicity in serious breaches of fundamental ethical norms (guidelines point 4.4). The fund's Elbit shares had a market value of NOK 35.8 million on Dec. 31, 2008 (value of holdings, not a transaction).Response: Per the recommendation, Norges Bank wrote to Elbit on March 17, 2009; Elbit replied on April 2, 2009 that it was not in a position to answer the questions. AFP reported Israel's foreign ministry summoned Norway's ambassador after the September 2009 exclusion.Sources: Council on Ethics for the Government Pension Fund Global (Norway), May 15, 2009; Etikkrådet (Norway Council on Ethics), July 4, 2017; The Local Sweden (AFP), March 30, 2010.
RecordSweden's First AP Fund (Första AP-fonden) excluded Elbit in March 2010 on its Ethical Council's recommendation. The ground was again the surveillance system for the West Bank barrier; the fund said the company could be linked to violations of fundamental conventions. A spokeswoman said the fund's holdings were small.Response: None reported in the article. Israel's stated position, as reported: the barrier is to prevent attacks.Sources: The Local Sweden (AFP), March 30, 2010.
ReportedDanske Bank divested from Elbit in 2010, citing its alleged supply of electronic equipment in conflict with human-rights norms.Who says so: World Jewish Congress (2014 article recounting Danske Bank's 2010 decision)Response: In a 2014 article about Danske Bank's separate exclusion of Bank Hapoalim, Israel's ambassador to Denmark, Arthur Avnon, accused the bank of focusing disproportionately on Israel. No Elbit response found.Sources: World Jewish Congress, Feb. 3, 2014.
ReportedHSBC divested from Elbit in December 2018, after Elbit's November 2018 purchase of IMI Systems, which had a history of producing cluster munitions. The decision first became public through Palestine Solidarity Campaign correspondence.Who says so: The Jerusalem Post (Tovah Lazaroff)Response: Elbit VP David Vaknin said HSBC had not contacted the company, that IMI would not continue its prior cluster-munition activities, and that Elbit itself does not produce cluster munitions.Sources: The Jerusalem Post, Jan. 3, 2019.
ReportedIn 2021 Australia's Future Fund excluded Elbit under exclusions tied to weapons treaties Australia has ratified, and Norway's KLP excluded Elbit, saying it was clear the company produces cluster munitions through IMI. KLP's head of responsible investment said much of its information came from MSCI. Crikey later reported that Elbit was removed from the Future Fund's excluded list in 2023.Who says so: The Guardian (Butler, Doherty); KLP report as quoted; Crikey (Keane) on the 2023 removalResponse: Elbit denied producing cluster munitions and has repeatedly said so since taking over IMI in 2018.Sources: The Guardian (Australia), March 9, 2022; Crikey (Australia), Feb. 29, 2024; Australian Centre for International Justice, March 15, 2022.
RecordJapan's Itochu said on Feb. 5, 2024 that its aviation unit would end a March 2023 strategic-cooperation MOU with Elbit by the end of February. The company cited the ICJ's Jan. 26, 2024 provisional-measures order in South Africa v. Israel.Response: Itochu said the MOU was requested by Japan's defense ministry and unrelated to the Israel-Palestine conflict. No Elbit response found.Sources: Taiwan News (Reuters), Feb. 5, 2024; Kontan (Reuters), Feb. 5, 2024.
AllegationPalestine Action claimed in 2024 that Barclays had sold all its Elbit shares. The Jewish Chronicle reported that SEC/Nasdaq data showed Barclays no longer held a stake of more than $3.4 million.Who says so: Palestine Action (claim); Jewish Chronicle (Ellie Grant)Response: Barclays said it holds shares only to meet client instructions, is not an 'investor' in Elbit, and so cannot divest.Sources: The Jewish Chronicle, Nov. 1, 2024.
AllegationThe UN Special Rapporteur's 2025 report (A/HRC/59/23) says Elbit has cooperated closely on Israeli military operations since 2023 and embedded staff in the Ministry of Defense. It says drones largely developed and supplied by Elbit and IAI have flown over Gaza. It also lists AXA among firms that divested from Elbit. The report says more than 45 named entities were notified and 15 replied; it does not say whether Elbit was among them.Who says so: UN Special Rapporteur Francesca AlbaneseResponse: Israel called the report legally groundless. No Elbit response found.Sources: UN Special Rapporteur on the OPT, June 30, 2025.
RecordElbit, IMI, Cellebrite, XTEND, Duke Robotics and AIR do not appear in the UN OHCHR database of businesses involved in settlement activities in the June 2023 update (97 entities) or the September 2025 update (A/HRC/60/19, 158 entities). Motorola Solutions (U.S.) and its Israeli unit are listed; they are not in scope.Sources: UN OHCHR (via UNISPAL), June 30, 2023; UN Human Rights Council / OHCHR, Sept. 26, 2025.
RecordSpain appears to have cancelled a €697 million (about $823M) contract for SILAM rocket launchers derived from Elbit's PULS design, according to a procurement-agency cancellation notice reported by Breaking Defense (AFP reported the cancellation earlier). The notice gave no reason. It came as Madrid moved to make permanent a ban on arms trade with Israel over Gaza. The figure is the contract value.Response: Spain's Defense Ministry referred reporters to the minister's comments that Israeli-supplied equipment would be replaced by Spanish industry. Elbit did not immediately respond to Breaking Defense's request for comment.Sources: Breaking Defense, Sept. 16, 2025.
RecordUK direct action: Palestine Action, which names Elbit as its main target, staged repeated occupations of Elbit UK sites. The Oldham site (Ferranti power and control) was closed and sold in January 2022; Elbit's FY2022 annual report lists the sale of that business as a divestiture of a non-material business. The Bristol (Aztec West) site, leased until 2029, was reported closed in September 2025, and the company did not comment. A 2022 Bristol break-in led to suspended sentences in 2024. The UK proscribed Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000 with effect from July 5, 2025. The Divisional Court of the High Court ruled the proscription unlawful on Feb. 13, 2026, leaving it in force pending further order. On June 15, 2026 a five-judge Court of Appeal unanimously held the proscription lawful and set aside that ruling. The UK Supreme Court granted permission to appeal in late July 2026, so the case is not final. Separately, the U.S. Treasury's OFAC listed Palestine Action as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist on Aug. 26, 2026.Response: Elbit Systems UK said after the 2022 Bristol action that it does not supply arms to Israel (as reported). It did not comment on the Bristol closure.Sources: 11KBW (barristers' chambers), June 16, 2026; Middle East Monitor (summarizing The Guardian), Sept. 6, 2025; U.S. SEC (Elbit Systems Ltd.), 2023-03; U.S. Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control, Aug. 26, 2026; Internazionale (Reuters), July 30, 2026; Landmark Chambers, Feb. 13, 2026.
ReportedFlorida: on Nov. 9, 2023 more than 100 people protested outside Real-Time Laboratories, Elbit's subsidiary in Boca Raton. Groups named included FIU Students for Justice in Palestine, Black Futures Alliance and Food Not Bombs Fort Lauderdale; AFSC Florida posted from the protest. More than a dozen pro-Israel counter-demonstrators were present. An organizer said he counted three arrests; Miami New Times could not confirm any arrests or charges. No damage was reported.Who says so: Miami New Times (Alex DeLuca)Response: No company comment reported.Sources: Miami New Times, Nov. 10, 2023.
AllegationMyanmar: Justice For Myanmar reported that 60 Israeli citizens, through attorney Eitay Mack, asked Israel's Attorney General on Oct. 3, 2022 to open a criminal investigation of Elbit, IAI and Israel Shipyards and of two export officials, over suspected corruption in dealings with a Myanmar broker, Star Sapphire Trading. JFM alleges Elbit sold Skylark drones that the Myanmar military used in attacks in western Myanmar.Who says so: Justice For Myanmar; complaint by Eitay MackResponse: CAAT reports Elbit said it had previously ended its Myanmar business. No outcome of the AG application found.Sources: Justice For Myanmar, Oct. 26, 2022; Campaign Against Arms Trade (UK), April 28, 2026.
XTEND
ReportedFlorida: 28 demonstrators with Students for a Democratic Society protested on the sidewalk outside XTEND's Tampa factory in September 2025, opposing U.S. aid to Israel.Who says so: WMNF (Leah Burdick)Response: No company comment reported.Sources: WMNF 88.5 FM, Sept. 17, 2025.
Cellebrite
ReportedCellebrite stopped sales to Hong Kong and China in October 2020, after reports that Hong Kong police used its tools on protesters' phones. Its CEO announced a halt of sales to Russia and Belarus on March 18, 2021, after activists and media documented use against opposition figures; Mediazona reported UFED use in the case file of Navalny ally Lyubov Sobol. The Belarusian site dev.by found 17 state procurement records from 2013 to 2019 covering UFED purchases, license renewals and support.Who says so: Global Voices (Tanya Lokot), citing Haaretz, Mediazona and dev.by; activist Eitay MackResponse: Cellebrite said it now declines business in Bangladesh, Belarus, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Russia and Venezuela, partly over human-rights concerns. All China/Hong Kong units were deactivated, it said, and one reseller named in media reports was never authorized. It also created an Ethics and Integrity Committee.Sources: Global Voices, April 5, 2021; Cellebrite (via Business & Human Rights Resource Centre), Sept. 13, 2021.
ReportedBangladesh: documents obtained by Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit and Haaretz showed Bangladesh spent at least $330,000 on Cellebrite UFED equipment (amount spent). Its Rapid Action Battalion, which is accused of extrajudicial killings, was among the units trained.Who says so: Al Jazeera Investigative Unit and HaaretzResponse: Cellebrite later said it would stop selling to RAB (Wikipedia) and lists Bangladesh among countries it does not sell to (BHRRC response 2021; FY2025 20-F).Sources: Al Jazeera, March 8, 2021; Cellebrite (via Business & Human Rights Resource Centre), Sept. 13, 2021; U.S. SEC (Cellebrite DI Ltd.), March 3, 2026.
RecordSerbia: Amnesty International reported in December 2024 that Serbian police used Cellebrite UFED to unlock journalists' and activists' phones and, in at least two cases, then install domestic spyware ('NoviSpy'). On Feb. 25, 2025 Cellebrite said it would stop the use of its products by the relevant Serbian customers.Response: Cellebrite's 20-F says it investigated each claim under its ethics and integrity policies. Amnesty said the decision reinforced its December findings and urged Cellebrite to revamp its due diligence.Sources: Amnesty International, Feb. 26, 2025; U.S. SEC (Cellebrite DI Ltd.), March 3, 2026.
RecordJordan: Citizen Lab found, with high confidence, that Jordanian authorities used Cellebrite extraction tools on devices seized from activists and civil-society members. It documented seven cases from late 2023 to mid-2025 linked to pro-Gaza protests and found traces of use since at least 2020.Response: A Cellebrite spokesperson said lawful and ethical use is 'paramount,' that the company does not comment on specifics, and pointed to its Ethics & Integrity Committee. Citizen Lab noted the statement did not deny its findings.Sources: Citizen Lab, University of Toronto, Jan. 22, 2026.
Company saysCellebrite's FY2025 annual report (filed March 3, 2026) says it has policies to prevent sales in Bangladesh, Belarus, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Russia, Venezuela, Oman, Uganda and other countries. It lists adverse coverage about Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Russia, Serbia and Uganda as reputational risks. The same filing lists a Delray Beach, Fla., office. The filing says Cellebrite acquired Delray Beach-based Corellium in December 2025 (the deal was announced in June 2025).Sources: U.S. SEC (Cellebrite DI Ltd.), March 3, 2026.
Duke Robotics
RecordNo documented controversy, investor exclusion, lawsuit or NGO finding specific to Duke Robotics was found. Its armed-drone system TIKAD is licensed to Elbit Systems Land.
AIR
Company saysNo controversy specific to AIR beyond the October 2025 prototype crash was found. Globes reported that AIR's cargo aircraft already serves unnamed military units for cargo and medical equipment.
Sales to countries at war
ReportedElbit sold SkyStriker loitering munitions to Azerbaijan, its first international customer for the type, according to the Jerusalem Post citing the AzeriDefense website. About 10 were seen in released photos.Who says so: The Jerusalem Post (Anna Ahronheim), citing AzeriDefenseResponse: No Elbit comment in the article. The article separately recounts a formal protest by Armenia's ambassador over Israeli weapons after a 2016 Harop (IAI) incident; that protest was not about SkyStriker.AzerbaijanSources: The Jerusalem Post, Jan. 11, 2019.
ReportedThe 2017 Israeli Defense Ministry license freeze was imposed on Aeronautics Defense Systems, not Elbit. It froze export licenses for the Orbiter 1K to a foreign customer (Azerbaijan, per Haaretz) after a complaint that company staff were asked to fly a live strike on an Armenian position during a sales demonstration. Aeronautics put the contract at $20M over two years (company figure). Rafael acquired 50% of Aeronautics in September 2019.Who says so: Haaretz and Maariv via Armenian Weekly/ANCA; Jerusalem Post (2019); EDR Magazine on the Rafael dealResponse: Aeronautics said the purchaser alone carried out the operational action and that it never demonstrates on live targets.AzerbaijanSources: ANCA (reprinting Armenian Weekly, citing Haaretz/Maariv), Aug. 30, 2017; The Jerusalem Post, Jan. 11, 2019; EDR Magazine, Sept. 3, 2019.
RecordSIPRI estimates Israel supplied 69% of Azerbaijan's major arms imports in 2016–20 (27% in 2011–20). SIPRI's shares measure the volume of transfers (its trend-indicator values), not dollars; the backgrounder itself does not restate that method. SIPRI names the Hermes-900 (an Elbit drone) among the systems, along with IAI's Harop and LORA and the Barak-8. SIPRI does not name Elbit as a company. CAAT says Elbit drones were used by Azeri forces in Nagorno-Karabakh, citing local press.Response: Not sought by SIPRI. Israel omitted these exports from its UN Register reports, per SIPRI.AzerbaijanSources: SIPRI, 2021; Campaign Against Arms Trade (UK), April 28, 2026.
RecordAmnesty International identified 'Israeli-made M095 DPICM' cluster munitions in footage from residential Stepanakert and said they appeared to have been fired by Azerbaijani forces. Amnesty did not name the manufacturer in the release.Response: None in the release.AzerbaijanSources: Amnesty International, Oct. 5, 2020.
RecordThe UN Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar (2019) named IAI (Super Dvora boats; two delivered April 2017) and TAR Ideal Concepts (training) as Israeli suppliers to the Tatmadaw. It did not name Elbit. It said Israeli military export licenses were revoked after a Supreme Court decision. Elbit's alleged Skylark sales come only from Justice For Myanmar.Response: Elbit said it had ended its Myanmar business (per CAAT).MyanmarSources: UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, Aug. 5, 2019; Justice For Myanmar, Oct. 26, 2022; Campaign Against Arms Trade (UK), April 28, 2026.
ReportedA leaked UN Panel of Experts report said Israeli-made ACE and Micro Galil rifles reached South Sudan's National Security Service. ACE rifles were handed to a militia during the December 2013 Juba killings; the report does not say whether they came directly from Israel or via Uganda. Micro Galils were sold by the manufacturer to Uganda in 2007 and moved to NSS in 2014. These are products of IWI, the former IMI small-arms division privatized in 2005; IWI is a separate company from Elbit and IMI Systems.Who says so: UN Panel of Experts (leaked), via Radio TamazujResponse: Israel said Uganda did not request permission for the re-transfer (as reported).South SudanSources: Radio Tamazuj (on leaked UN Panel of Experts report), Jan. 26, 2016.
RecordElbit won a contract of about $172M in January 2021 to supply Sabrah light tanks and wheeled fire-support vehicles to an army in the Asia-Pacific region that the company did not name. The figure is the contract value.Asia-Pacific (buyer not named by Elbit)Sources: Defense News, Jan. 29, 2021.
ReportedIsrael approved export licenses in February 2023 for Elbit and Rafael to offer Ukraine a non-lethal counter-drone electronic-warfare system. As of March 2023 no deal had been signed.Who says so: Axios via The Defense PostResponse: Israeli officials said it was not a policy shift because the system is defensive.UkraineSources: The Defense Post (citing Axios), March 20, 2023.
Company saysYnet reported that XTEND's Singapore subsidiary, Performance Rotors, supplied drones to Ukraine in a way that navigated Israel's export restrictions. Ynet later reported that XTEND's technology was used in Ukraine mainly as software on third-party drones, for reconnaissance under heavy jamming. Both reports rely largely on the company; no Ukrainian government or purchase record was found.Response: CEO Aviv Shapira described the tech as 'tested in Gaza, Lebanon and Ukraine.'UkraineSources: Ynet News, July 16, 2025; Ynet News, Jan. 28, 2026.
ReportedDocumented Cellebrite use or sales by governments with documented abuses: Hong Kong, Russia, Belarus, Bangladesh, Serbia and Jordan. The company has stated halts for all except Jordan; in Serbia the halt covers the relevant customers rather than the whole country.Who says so: Global Voices/Haaretz; Al Jazeera; Amnesty; Citizen Lab; Cellebrite filingsResponse: See the Cellebrite items above.Russia; Belarus; China/Hong Kong; Bangladesh; Serbia; JordanSources: Global Voices, April 5, 2021; Al Jazeera, March 8, 2021; Amnesty International, Feb. 26, 2025; Citizen Lab, University of Toronto, Jan. 22, 2026; Cellebrite (via Business & Human Rights Resource Centre), Sept. 13, 2021; U.S. SEC (Cellebrite DI Ltd.), March 3, 2026.
What these records do not show: the full list of any company’s customers. Arms-export data are incomplete and many sales are confidential. Where an export is attributed to the wrong company in circulating claims, we say so.
Florida’s Israel-specific programs are small: a joint research fund, a county-backed business accelerator and a trade office.
RecordSpace Florida and the Israel Innovation Authority have jointly funded paired Florida-Israel company R&D projects since 2013 (about $23 million to date, per Space Florida). The 2023 call let Space Florida grant up to $400,000 per Florida proposal and up to $1 million per round to Florida winners; the Israeli side funds up to 50% of an Israeli firm's project.Sources: Space Florida, Oct. 20, 2026; Israel Innovation Authority / Space Florida, Sept. 1, 2023; Space Florida, June 19, 2023.
RecordSpace Florida's list of 2021-2026 winners shows no drone-weapons or defense-munitions makers; the winners are space, communications, optics and mobility firms (e.g., Lockheed Martin/StemRad, Sidus Space/Maris-Tech, MySky Eco/Airwayz drone-traffic software). Per-project award amounts are not published.Sources: Space Florida, Oct. 20, 2026; Florida Trend, July 9, 2024; Israel Innovation Authority, July 9, 2025; Space Florida, June 19, 2023.
ReportedHillsborough County approved a not-to-exceed $100,000 annual agreement (Oct. 2024-Sept. 2025) with the Tampa JCC/Federation to operate the Florida-Israel Business Accelerator (FIBA); the state provided FIBA $250,000 in 2024, per the Tampa Bay Times. The Times called XTEND's July 2025 opening another FIBA success, and Hoodline said XTEND has appeared in FIBA materials. Residents asked commissioners in July 2026 to end the funding. No record shows any FIBA money went to XTEND.Who says so: Tampa Bay Times (Shauna Muckle, 2025; Lizzy Alspach, 2026); Hoodline (Marc Wright) citing county recordsResponse: FIBA describes itself as an economic-development nonprofit helping Israeli tech firms open U.S. offices; no county statement reportedSources: Hoodline, July 16, 2026; Tampa Bay Times, July 15, 2026; Tampa Bay Times, Aug. 19, 2025.
RecordThe Tampa JCC/Federation asked the Legislature for $400,000 in FY2019-20 to run FIBA, describing it as a channel for Israeli tech firms to open U.S. headquarters in Florida; a $250,000 FIBA project in 2022 was withdrawn as a bill and folded into the House budget (final funding not confirmed).Sources: Florida Senate, Jan. 1, 2019; Florida Senate, March 14, 2022.
RecordNo state or local incentive, grant, tax refund or lease subsidy for XTEND's Tampa site was found in any announcement or coverage; the company thanked 'local, state and federal partners' without naming any support. The Tampa Bay Times reported that FIBA, which receives county and state money, counted the opening as a success, but no record shows that money reached XTEND.Sources: Security Journal Americas, July 3, 2025; FOX 13 Tampa Bay, July 1, 2025; Tampa Bay Business & Wealth, March 3, 2026; Tampa Bay Times, Aug. 19, 2025.
RecordFlorida's SelectFlorida maintains an Israel office in Tel Aviv with a business-development director to help Israeli companies set up in Florida and find partners.Sources: SelectFlorida, Oct. 20, 2026.
ReportedGov. DeSantis's May 25-31, 2019 Israel mission produced more than 20 MOUs (mostly universities, plus Space Florida-Israel Space Agency and emergency management); the governor's release lists meetings with Rafael and Cellebrite among companies. The trip cost $442,504, more than $131,000 of it paid by taxpayers per Enterprise Florida figures.Who says so: Governor's office release (May 31, 2019); News Service of Florida (Ana Ceballos) citing Enterprise FloridaSources: Executive Office of the Governor (hosted by FDEP), May 31, 2019; Executive Office of the Governor, June 5, 2019; News Service of Florida (via Orlando Weekly), July 13, 2019; Florida Phoenix, April 16, 2019; Space Florida, May 27, 2019.
RecordThe governor's April 2023 trade mission (Japan, South Korea, Israel, U.K.) announcement named only INSIGHTEC, a medical-technology firm, among Israeli companies; no defense or drone deal from that trip was found.Sources: Executive Office of the Governor, April 20, 2023.
ReportedFlorida's 2023 law barring state and local agencies from using drones from 'countries of concern' (mainly hitting Chinese DJI/Autel) came with $25 million to replace police drones; FDLE reimburses up to $25,000 per compliant drone. Reported approved alternatives are U.S. and French makers (Skydio, BRINC, Parrot, Inspired Flight). No Israeli maker was found on approved lists or among grant-funded purchases.Who says so: Miami Herald (Lawrence Mower, via GovTech); FDLE FAQ; NationGraphSources: Miami Herald (via GovTech), May 3, 2023; Florida Department of Law Enforcement, July 1, 2024; Florida Administrative Code (via Cornell LII), April 5, 2023; NationGraph, Feb. 19, 2026.
RecordMiami-Dade County approved (R-877-23, Oct. 3, 2023) a five-year designated purchase of Cellebrite forensic hardware and software for its police department, not to exceed $6,817,350, replacing a contract valued at $817,823.Sources: Miami-Dade County, Oct. 3, 2023; U.S. SEC (Cellebrite DI Ltd.), March 1, 2026.
RecordIn May 2022, Miami-Dade staff sought a $150,000 increase to an earlier sole-source Cellebrite maintenance contract, raising its ceiling from $620,073 to $770,073.Sources: Miami-Dade County, May 3, 2022.
Company saysXTEND announced a multimillion-dollar, fixed-price U.S. Defense ('War') Department contract in November 2025 for AI-enabled close-quarters one-way-attack drone kits for special operations, to be produced and supported from Tampa; the value was not disclosed.Sources: Robotics 24/7, Nov. 11, 2025; Construction Dive, Feb. 20, 2026.
Company saysXTEND announced a $40.5 million order for 6,000 STRIKER systems on Oct. 13, 2026, tied to its performance in the Pentagon's Drone Dominance Program 'Gauntlet II'; the buyer and production site were not stated.Sources: XTEND, Oct. 13, 2026.
RecordThe only XTEND federal prime award found in USAspending is a $75,000 FBI purchase order for a 'Hunter Drone' in July 2021; the newer Defense awards were not visible there under XTEND's name as of this check (they may be classified, subcontracted, or not yet posted).Sources: USAspending.gov, July 7, 2021.
ReportedXTEND opened a U.S. headquarters and drone production facility at 5247 Crossroads Park Dr. in Tampa in 2025 (operating from May 1; ribbon-cutting July 1). TBBW reports more than 5,700 sq ft leased; Business Observer reports a 10,000-sq-ft space. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor attended the opening.Who says so: FOX 13 (Ariel Plasencia); Tampa Bay Business & Wealth (Chuck Merlis); company statementsSources: FOX 13 Tampa Bay, July 1, 2025; Security Journal Americas, July 3, 2025; Tampa Bay Business & Wealth, March 3, 2026; The Defense Post, July 4, 2025; Business Observer, July 6, 2025; Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), Jan. 7, 2026.
Company saysXTEND projected up to 100 jobs in Tampa over three years and said the plant could make about 3,000 drones a month.Sources: FOX 13 Tampa Bay, July 1, 2025; Tampa Bay Business & Wealth, March 3, 2026.
ReportedXTEND agreed in Feb. 2026 to a $1.5 billion merger with Lantana-based JFB Construction Holdings, which closed Sept. 4, 2026; the combined XTEND AI Robotics trades on the NYSE as XTND. Construction Dive reported Eric Trump among investors backing the deal.Who says so: Construction Dive (Sara Samora); Pulse 2.0; JFB SEC Form 425Sources: Construction Dive, Feb. 20, 2026; Pulse 2.0, Sept. 4, 2026; U.S. SEC (JFB Construction Holdings), May 11, 2026.
RecordDuke Robotics' parent was formerly UAS Drone Corp., which in its FY2016 10-K listed a rent-free principal office at 420 Royal Palm Way, Palm Beach, shared with GreenBlock Capital, and no Florida operations; 2017 trade press called Duke 'Florida-based.'Sources: U.S. SEC (UAS Drone Corp.), March 31, 2017; DroneLife, Sept. 13, 2017; BGR, Sept. 26, 2017.
RecordDuke Robotics' FY2025 10-K (signed March 12, 2026) lists its principal office in Mevo Carmel, Israel, an Israeli operating subsidiary, a Greek subsidiary and four officers/employees, and discloses a right to use office space and administrative services at an unnamed Florida location. It licensed its armed-drone system (TIKAD, marketed as 'Bird of Prey') exclusively to Elbit Systems Land in 2021, and says an Israeli TV report featured the system among IDF weapons used in the Gaza war.Sources: U.S. SEC (Duke Robotics Corp.), March 12, 2026; U.S. SEC (UAS Drone Corp.), March 31, 2021; U.S. SEC (DUKE Robotics Corp.), Aug. 18, 2026.
Grant caps, appropriations, contract ceilings and merger values are different measures; none are added together.
Some state rules apply only to Israel. Most business incentives are open to any country not on Florida’s “countries of concern” list.
We compared each Israel-related rule with what Florida does for, or against, other countries. Where the record shows a benefit or rule that exists only for Israel, the table says so. Where the same treatment is open to firms from any country not on Florida’s “countries of concern” list, it says that instead.
| Rule or program | Israel only? | What other countries get |
|---|---|---|
| Space Florida–Israel Innovation Authority joint R&D fund (since 2013; up to $400K per Florida proposal). | Israel only | Per Space Florida's own site, the Israel program (about $2 million a year in joint R&D funding; more than $23 million to date, per Space Florida) was its only country-to-country aerospace R&D fund until 2025. That year the Legislature created a country-neutral International Aerospace Innovation Fund (s. 331.372, ch. 2025-154). Its first partnership, with the UK Space Agency in July 2026, commits $400,000 ($200,000 matched; £300,000 per the UK) and opens calls in fall 2026. The Israel program was Space Florida's only bilateral fund for about 12 years and is now one of two. Space Florida, July 21, 2026; UK Space Agency (GOV.UK), July 21, 2026; Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine), 2026; Space Florida, Feb. 3, 2026. |
| SelectFlorida Tel Aviv office. | Open to others | It is one of 12 SelectFlorida international offices: Brazil, Benelux, Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Taiwan, Spain and the UK. Florida also has a Czech/Prague listing in its toolkit. Before the 2023 dissolution, Enterprise Florida had 14 offices in 13 countries, including Hong Kong and South Africa, which are not on the current list. Statutory authority (s. 288.012) is country-neutral. SelectFlorida, Oct. 20, 2026; SelectFlorida; Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine), 2026. |
| Israel bonds in local-government investment law: s. 218.415(16)(f) lists rated or unrated Israeli government bonds as an authorized investment (since 2007). HB 669 (2025, ch. 2025-174; passed 36-0 and 113-0) bars local investment policies from requiring a minimum rating for them. | Israel only | No other foreign government's debt is named in the statute's list of authorized local investments. The other listed items are U.S. Treasuries, federal agencies, the state pool, money-market funds and deposits. This is a country-specific benefit. Florida Senate, 2025; Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine), 2026; Florida Senate, June 8, 2007. |
| Anti-boycott contracting law (s. 287.135; SB 86 2016, ch. 2016-36; CS/CS/SB 1678 2025, ch. 2025-192): entities on the boycott-Israel list, or engaged in a boycott of Israel, may not bid on or enter into state or local contracts of $100,000 or more. Bidders must certify for contracts of any amount that they are not boycotting Israel. | Israel only | The same statute covers the Sudan, Iran Terrorism Sectors and Cuba/Syria lists, at a $1 million threshold. The Israel threshold has moved: $1 million under the 2016 law, any amount from July 1, 2018, and $100,000 from July 1, 2025 (the 2025 law loosened it). Those other lists penalize companies for doing business with sanctioned states; the Israel list penalizes companies for refusing to do business with Israel. No comparable list protecting commerce with another country was found in s. 287.135 or s. 215.4725. This is not a subsidy to Israeli firms. Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine), 2026; Palm Beach County Office of Inspector General, 2024-06; Florida Senate, 2025. |
| 'Foreign countries of concern' restrictions (SB 264 2023: contracting with PII access in s. 287.138; land purchases in ch. 692; economic incentives in s. 288.0071; cultural agreements in s. 288.860). | Open to others | They apply to firms from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela's Maduro regime and Syria. Israeli firms face none of them, nor do firms from any other unlisted country such as the UK, Japan or Germany. Israel is treated like other non-listed countries, not specially. Since July 2023 local and state incentives may not go to entities owned by or based in those seven countries. Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine), 2026; Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine), 2026; Palm Beach County Office of Inspector General, 2024-06; Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine), 2026. |
| Drone procurement rules (SB 44, ch. 2021-165; DMS rule 60GG-2.0075): agencies may buy only from approved manufacturers, and no drone or critical component from a country-of-concern manufacturer. | Open to others | The rule is country-neutral apart from the country-of-concern ban. Israeli-made drones are eligible on the same terms as U.S., French or other non-listed makers. SignalData found no Israeli maker among reported approved vendors. Florida Administrative Code (via Cornell LII); Florida Senate, July 6, 2021. |
| State incentive awards (QTI, CITC, HIPI, Job Growth Grant) to Elbit/Sparton, RTL, XTEND, AIR, Cellebrite. | Open to others | The programs are country-neutral in law. The FloridaCommerce Economic Development Incentives Portal (non-confidential executed contracts since 2000) runs as a JavaScript Salesforce app that automated access could not query, and Good Jobs First's Subsidy Tracker was blocked. No award to these companies was found. The only local award found remains Volusia County's $500K 2019 grant to Sparton, made before Elbit owned it. FloridaCommerce, Oct. 20, 2026; Florida Department of Financial Services (CFO), Oct. 20, 2026. |
| Florida-Israel Business Accelerator (county/legislative funding requests). | Israel only | It is a single-country accelerator. Whether Florida or Hillsborough funds a comparable accelerator for any other single country was not checked. |
What these records do not show: whether any Israeli company received a state incentive award (QTI, CITC, HIPI) that other firms did not. Those programs are open to any qualifying company; the state’s incentives database could not be searched for this File.
The laws behind these rules are in the companion File, Florida’s Israel Laws.
The federal contracts are public. The state’s own deals mostly are not.
What these records do not show
- No published FDOT, governor's office, Polk County or AIR document states AIR's lease, rent, term, hangar allocation, or any cash or tax incentive at SunTrax; 'massive perks' is not supported or refuted by available records.
- No record shows SunTrax costs $200 million. Published figures for the ground-vehicle campus run from $42M (2017 initial) to $150.6M (2023 total), by different measures; the cost of the 2025-26 air expansion is unpublished. The ~$197M figure is a proposed NEVI fund redirection for a statewide air-taxi network, not SunTrax spending.
- No Florida state or local incentive, grant or purchase involving XTEND itself was found. The Tampa Bay Times reports FIBA (county- and state-funded) counts XTEND's Tampa opening as a success; no record shows FIBA money went to XTEND.
- No record ties products made in Florida (sonobuoys at DeLeon Springs; Abrams tank hydraulics in Boca Raton) to any strike in Gaza, Lebanon or elsewhere.
- No source found ties an Elbit- or IMI-made white phosphorus or flechette munition to a documented strike; the white phosphorus shells HRW identified in 2009 were U.S.-made. Elbit's 2012 SEC filing does list white phosphorus mortar bombs among its products, and an AFSC profile says Elbit makes flechettes (no source cited). IMI's documented cluster-munition production (M85) predates Elbit's 2018 purchase, and Elbit says it ended cluster-munition production.
- No state-level Florida incentive (QTI, CITC, HIPI, Job Growth Grant) to any Elbit unit was found; the only local incentive found is Volusia's 2019 $500,000 water-quality grant to Sparton, before Elbit owned it. The CFO incentives database was not searched.
- No Israeli drone maker appears on Florida's approved-drone or drone-replacement purchase records found; the replacement program's actual vendor purchases were not obtained.
- No Space Florida-Israel Innovation Authority award to a weapons or military drone maker was found; per-project award amounts are not published.
- Duke Robotics has no Florida government contract and no named Florida facility in its SEC filings; it discloses only a right to use office space at an unnamed Florida location.
- Florida state campaign contributions from these companies could not be checked (Division of Elections site blocked). Federal PAC contributions to Florida candidates shown are small and are not evidence of any official action.
- The amount Miami-Dade actually paid Cellebrite (versus the $6.8M ceiling) is not shown.
Records we are requesting
- FDOT and Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise: AIR’s agreement, lease, rent and term; Skyfly’s letter of intent; the SunTrax Air construction contract; Work Program totals for every SunTrax phase.
- Florida Commerce and the CFO’s incentives database: any award to Elbit or Sparton units, XTEND or AIR.
- FDLE: vendors reimbursed under the drone-replacement program.
- Hillsborough County: the accelerator agreement, payments and participating companies; any incentive or lease subsidy for XTEND.
- Florida Division of Elections: contributions from these companies and their executives (the state site blocks automated searches).
- Comment from Twenty-Six Defense (Elbit), XTEND, AIR and FDOT. Their replies will be added with the date received.
Leads we could not confirm, so did not state
- AIR gets 'massive perks' at SUNTRAX No lease or agreement text published; no dollar terms stated anywhere. Needs public-records request to FDOT/Florida's Turnpike Enterprise for the AIR agreement, lease, and any space-use or MOU documents.
- SUNTRAX costs ~$200 million Highest published total found is $150.6M for the ground campus (2023); air-expansion cost unpublished. The $197M NEVI redirection proposal may be the source of the '$200M' number. Request FTE/FDOT Work Program project totals (FPN numbers) for SunTrax phases and SunTrax Air.
- XTEND U.S. operation receives Florida incentives Nothing found; CFO incentives database and Hillsborough County agenda search not reachable/tried. Check Florida CFO economic incentives database and Hillsborough BOCC/Tampa City Council agendas 2025.
- XTEND drones used in Ukraine Only the CEO's statement; no independent purchase record or Ukrainian government confirmation found.
- Elbit products 'implicated in white phosphorus' Partly confirmed as to production: Elbit's FY2012 20-F lists WP mortar bombs among its products, and AFSC says it made them until at least 2012. Not confirmed as to use: documented WP shells in Gaza 2009 were U.S.-made; recent HRW reports on Lebanon name no maker. No source ties an Elbit WP munition to a specific strike.
- Elbit products 'implicated in flechettes' AFSC Investigate asserts Elbit makes flechette projectiles but cites no source on the page; no primary record (SEC filing, HRW, Amnesty, UN) found naming Elbit/IMI as maker of flechette rounds used in Gaza. The 2010 report of an Israeli-made replacement shell did not name a manufacturer.
- Elbit 'cluster' munitions Documented for IMI (pre-Elbit, 2006 Lebanon M85). Post-2018 Elbit/IMI-made cluster use in Gaza or Lebanon not shown; Monitor attributes recent alleged use to M999/Ra'am Eitan (maker not established as Elbit) and the U.S. M999 contract to Tomer. Monitor (Aug. 2026) also reports apparent Israeli use of 120mm M329 APAM tank rounds that may meet the treaty definition; it does not name a maker, and the checker could not confirm one (OSMP page blocked).
- Elbit facilities in Melbourne, Orlando or Tampa Only Boca Raton and De Leon Springs appear. Elbit America locations page blocked.
- Duke Robotics in Fort Lauderdale with Florida contracts/incentives No Fort Lauderdale address, contracts or incentives found. FY2020 and FY2025 10-Ks disclose a right to use office space at an unnamed Florida location; Sunbiz first-page search showed no 'Duke Robotics' entity (inconclusive).
- Florida drone-replacement program bought Israeli drones No Israeli maker named; FDLE program page and approved-manufacturer list not reachable. Request FDLE's list of reimbursed purchases by vendor.
- BriefCam or other Israeli surveillance tech bought by Florida police No Florida-specific BriefCam record found in time available; only Miami-Dade Cellebrite records found.
- Elbit/XTEND/AIR contributions to Florida state campaigns Site returns a Cloudflare JavaScript challenge (HTTP 403) to automated access.
- FIBA state appropriations actually enacted Tampa Bay Times (Aug. 2025) reports the state provided $250,000 'last year' (2024); the GAA line and any vetoes in other years not confirmed.
- Elbit's response to the UN Special Rapporteur report Report says 18 of 48 companies replied; whether Elbit did is not stated.
- M329 APAM tank round maker (Elbit/IMI?) Sources describe M329 as Israeli and associated with IMI's 120mm gun, but none reached states who manufactured rounds used since 2023.
- Elbit/IMI in OHCHR settlement database, 2026 update (A/HRC/63/20, 241 entities) Not read directly. Elbit is absent from the 2023 and 2025 lists that were read.
- Maker of M095 DPICM used in Nagorno-Karabakh is IMI Amnesty says 'Israeli-made' but names no maker. IMI attribution needs another source, such as HRW 2020 or the Cluster Munition Monitor.
- Elbit products used in Azerbaijan's 2023 offensive No 2023-specific record found.
- Norwegian Ministry of Finance exclusion announcement date (reported as September 2009) Date taken from AFP/The Local, not from the ministry release.
- Elbit FY2025 20-F language on activism and protests FY2025 filing not checked.
- Elbit Skylark use by Myanmar military Only JFM alleges it. The UN FFM does not name Elbit. Outcome of the AG complaint unknown.
- XTEND drones in Ukraine (independent confirmation) Company-sourced reporting only.
- State incentive awards (QTI/CITC/HIPI/JGG) to Elbit/Sparton, RTL, XTEND, AIR, Cellebrite/Corellium Needs a manual portal search or a public-records request to FloridaCommerce. Fact-check could not query the portal either (verdict: unreachable).
- Single-country business accelerators for other countries funded by Florida or Hillsborough Not checked.
- Who Profits and Al-Haq claims on Elbit and white phosphorus or flechettes No claim found. Pages were partly unreachable.
- Globes report that AIR aircraft serve military units Article located (en.globes.co.il, 'An electric plane in your garage,' Nov. 25, 2025); author not captured; units unnamed by the company.
- Cellebrite Delray Beach office: function and incentives Office is listed. Its size and any local incentive are unknown; check the Corellium (Delray Beach) incentive history.
- Outcome of UK Supreme Court appeal on Palestine Action proscription No hearing date or judgment found as of Oct. 20, 2026.
- Myanmar: the New York Times (as summarized by Wikipedia) reported that Myanmar's budget included a BlackBag (later a Cellebrite subsidiary) product. Court records showed police used Cellebrite on the phones of two Reuters journalists convicted in 2018. Philippines and Saudi Arabia sales were also reported (Haaretz; Loewenstein). Rests only on Wikipedia; needs a primary or credited source before publishing.