# How Britain's military is tied to Israel's: F-35 parts, trainer jets and Elbit

> Parts repaired at MOD Sealand go into a shared pool that supplies Israel's F-35s, and F-35 parts were exempt from a 2024 licence suspension. RAF trainers are owned by a venture that includes Elbit.

- URL: https://www.brizenortonfiles.com/articles/uk-israel-military-links-f35-elbit
- Published: 2026-11-08
- Author: Investigations Desk, The Brize Norton Files
- Topics: UK–Israel military links

## Key points

- MOD Sealand in North Wales is a worldwide repair centre for F-35 parts, and spare parts go into a shared pool that supplies Israel's F-35s.
- On 2 September 2024 the UK suspended around 30 export licences to Israel but exempted F-35 parts. The High Court ruled the exemption lawful on 30 June 2025.
- Government papers accepted that the M-346 trainer jet, which trains Israeli fighter pilots, 'facilitates offensive capability', but did not stop exports.
- The RAF's Texan T1 trainers are owned by Affinity Flying Training Services, a joint venture of KBR and Elbit Systems.
- The UK refused a licence to export parts for military support aircraft to Israel.

Government papers accepted that the M-346 trainer jet, which trains Israeli fighter pilots, "facilitates offensive capability", but did not stop exports. Britain's military links to Israel run through supply chains and training aircraft as well as bases.

## What is the F-35 parts exemption?

MOD (Ministry of Defence) Sealand in North Wales is a worldwide repair centre for F-35 parts, and spare parts go into a shared pool that supplies Israel's F-35s.

When the government suspended around 30 export licences to Israel on 2 September 2024, the decision exempted parts for the F-35. The government argued that stopping them would disrupt the whole international F-35 programme, because parts go into a shared pool used by all countries that fly the jet, including Israel.

Al-Haq and the Global Legal Action Network, supported by Oxfam and Amnesty, challenged the exemption through judicial review. The High Court ruled it lawful on 30 June 2025, and the Court of Appeal refused permission to appeal in November 2025. Novara Media's Simon Childs wrote: "Most notably, the ban didn't include parts for F-35 fighter jets which have been used by Israel to kill civilians in Gaza." The wider licence decision is covered in [Gaza findings published before the protest](https://www.brizenortonfiles.com/articles/gaza-genocide-findings-before-brize-norton).

## Which other exports were refused or questioned?

| Item | What the record shows |
|---|---|
| F-35 parts | Exempted from the September 2024 licence suspension. The High Court ruled the exemption lawful on 30 June 2025. |
| Parts for military support aircraft | The UK refused a licence to export these parts to Israel. The licence was almost certainly for the C-130 Hercules, a transport plane, though the public record used here does not name the aircraft. The Voyager is also a support aircraft. |
| M-346 trainer jet | Government papers accepted that the M-346, a jet used to train Israeli fighter pilots, "facilitates offensive capability". Exports were not stopped, because the plane itself is not flown in Gaza. Government evidence and freedom of information (FOI) disclosures about the M-346 came after the protest. |
| Texan T1 trainers | The RAF's basic fast-jet trainers are owned by Affinity Flying Training Services, a joint venture of KBR and Elbit Systems, under the UK Military Flying Training System contract (2016). |

## How is Elbit linked to Britain?

Elbit Systems, Israel's largest arms company, runs a site at Filton near Bristol. On 6 August 2024, activists drove a converted prison van through the fence of that site. The damage to Israeli military drones and equipment was estimated at £1.2 million, according to The Bristol Cable.

The people charged over the action, known as the Filton 24 and now the Filton 25, are being tried in stages. The outcomes are covered in [Filton and Brize Norton compared](https://www.brizenortonfiles.com/articles/filton-and-brize-norton-compared).

## What other links are there at Brize Norton and Akrotiri?

- **Surveillance flights.** RAF 14 Squadron's Shadow R1 planes flew at least 518 flights over or near Gaza between 3 December 2023 and 27 March 2025, according to Declassified UK and Action on Armed Violence (AOAV). The government says the flights are only to find hostages. See [the Shadow R1 surveillance flights](https://www.brizenortonfiles.com/articles/raf-shadow-r1-surveillance-flights-gaza).
- **Israeli military planes.** At least nine Israeli Air Force planes landed at Brize Norton between September 2024 and June 2025, according to Declassified UK. The MoD refuses to say how many have passed through Britain since February 2024. See [Israeli military aircraft at Brize Norton](https://www.brizenortonfiles.com/articles/israeli-air-force-planes-brize-norton).
- **Akrotiri.** Flights link Brize Norton and [RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus](https://www.brizenortonfiles.com/bases/akrotiri) almost every day. Akrotiri is the hub for UK operations in the region. See [the chain of support between the two bases](https://www.brizenortonfiles.com/articles/brize-norton-akrotiri-gaza-chain-of-support).

The accused in the Brize Norton case deny the charges. They are due to stand trial at Woolwich Crown Court from 25 January 2027. The [Brize Norton base page](https://www.brizenortonfiles.com/bases/brize-norton) covers the base itself.

## Questions and answers

**Does the UK supply parts for Israel's F-35 jets?**

MOD Sealand in North Wales is a worldwide F-35 repair centre, and its spare parts go into a shared pool that supplies Israel's F-35s. The government's 2024 licence suspension exempted F-35 parts.

**Who owns the RAF's Texan trainers?**

Affinity Flying Training Services, a joint venture of KBR and Elbit Systems, Israel's largest arms company. It provides them under the UK Military Flying Training System contract from 2016.

**Is the M-346 jet used to train Israeli pilots?**

Yes. Government papers accepted that the M-346 'facilitates offensive capability', but exports were not stopped because the plane itself is not flown in Gaza.

## Sources

1. Simon Childs on the UK's decision to suspend arms licences to Israel — Novara Media
2. [First Filton 25 defendants sentenced as terrorists](https://thebristolcable.org/2026/06/first-filton-25-defendants-sentenced-as-terrorists/) — The Bristol Cable, 2026-06
3. RAF fleet ownership (Flightradar24 listing, annotated) — Flightradar24