European missile group MBDA supplying parts for bombs used in Gaza airstrikes: Report

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Smoke rises from Gaza after an explosion, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border. File image/ Reuters
MBDA, Europe's largest missile manufacturer, is reportedly selling key components for bombs that have been used in airstrikes in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of Palestinian children and other civilians, according to an investigation by The Guardian. The investigation, conducted in collaboration with Disclose and Follow the Money, highlights concerns about European companies potentially profiting from the devastation in Gaza.
The focus of the investigation is the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb, for which MBDA owns a factory in Alabama, US, that produces the 'wings'. These wings, which are fitted to the GBU-39 bomb made by Boeing, unfold after launch, guiding the bomb to its target. Revenues from MBDA Incorporated, the US company, flow through MBDA UK, based in Hertfordshire, England, and any profits are then passed to the MBDA group, headquartered in France, The Guardian reports.
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MBDA distributed almost £350 million in dividends last year to its three shareholders: Britain's biggest defence firm BAE Systems, France's Airbus, and Italy's Leonardo, according to The Guardian.
The GBU-39 is reaching Israel under the US military aid program. Since the Hamas massacre of Israeli citizens on October 7, 2023, an estimated 4,800 of the bombs have been shipped, either bought directly from Boeing or transferred from US military reserves, to which Israel responded by launching a war on Gaza. The most recent consignment of 2,166 was announced in February of this year, just as the UN reported that almost 70% of Gaza had been reduced to rubble.
According to the investigation, using open source information and analysis by weapons experts, there have been 24 verified cases where the GBU-39 was deployed in attacks that resulted in civilian deaths, including children.
These attacks often occurred at night, without warning, targeting school buildings and tent camps sheltering displaced families. Some of these incidents have been examined by the United Nations and Amnesty International, with concerns raised about potential war crimes, The Guardian notes.
In one instance, on May 26, 2025, a bomb struck the Fahmi al-Jarjawi school in Gaza City, killing 36 people, half of whom were children. Hanin al-Wadie, a five-year-old girl, survived the attack but suffered severe burns and psychological trauma, losing her parents and sister, The Guardian reports. Weapons experts identified fragments of a GBU-39 bomb at the scene.
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MBDA confirmed its contract with Boeing for the wings and stated that it complies with all relevant national and international laws applicable to the arms trade in the countries in which it operates, all of whom have export policies and operate robust export control regimes, according to The Guardian.
However, campaigners argue that the case highlights the limitations of the UK's move to pause some arms shipments to Israel, as the US arm of MBDA can continue supplying Boeing from its Alabama factory.
Sam Perlo-Freeman, the research coordinator at Campaign Against the Arms Trade, said that MBDA is profiting from the arming of Israel, according to The Guardian. He suggested that MBDA could sell MBDA Inc. if it wanted to avoid complicity in arming Israel and that the UK government should take all actions within its power to stop the genocide, including sanctions on companies arming Israel and banning UK investments in such companies.
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