Defense announces a « technological disconnection » plan with Israel’s military industry | Spain
The Ministry of Defense is developing a « technological disconnection » plan of the Israeli military industry, as the Secretary of State for Defense assured this morning, Amparo Valcarceat a breakfast organized by New Economy Forum. Valcarce has assured that his department does not buy or sell weapons to Israel since October 7, 2023, when the Hamas terrorist attack occurred that triggered the current destruction of Gaza, but has admitted that “some programs (of his department) have technological dependence on an Israel company”.
According to Valcarce, the Industrial and Technological Defense Plan approved by the Government, with extra financing of 10,471 million euros To reach 2% of GDP this year in military spending, it aims to move towards strategic autonomy and technological sovereignty and « it will help end the dependence of other countries and also the state of Israel. » « We are already drawing disconnection plans, which we do not depend on Israel in any of the ways, » he added. The head of the purchases of the Spanish Armed Forces has admitted that it is « a plan that needs development », but has stressed that you want to achieve « the objective of zero technological dependence » and that « is only achieved by implementing the disconnection plan. »
Although Valcarce has not referred to any specific program, The Ministry of Defense has three important contracts with Israeli technology: The laser designators of the combat aircraft (207 million euros), the Spike antiacere missiles (237.5 million) and the multiple Silam launcher (576 million). Soon, the new joint system of army tactical radio (SCRT), for 738 million, and so far the favorite offer was that of Telefónica and Aicox, with technology from the Elbit Israeli.
The Secretary of State has expressed her « respect » for the proposal of the law to add that Congress is processed by the urgency route And that, if approved in its current terms, it will impose an automatic embargo on the purchase and sale of weapons to any state that is prosecuted before an international court for crimes against humanity, as is the case of Israel. After qualifying that « very necessary » law, Valcarce has expressed his sentence to the « Gaza invasion » and the « massacres of Palestinian civilians. »
Until now, the government had limited the veto to the purchase of Israel military material to the strict game of weapons and ammunition, which led to Cancel an acquisition contract of 15 million Israeli bullets for the Civil Guard for 6.6 million of euros. Defense sources had expressed the difficulty of dispensing with Israeli technology for being irreplaceable in some programs and for the complexity of implementing that veto in a globalized market, in which components bought from third countries can incorporate it. The aggravation of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the refusal of the Netanyahu government to stop indiscriminate bombings or allow the distribution of humanitarian aid by the UN international agencies has led the Ministry of Defense to implement a plan to also dispense with Israeli technology in its programs. Sector experts warn that this can be especially delicate and difficult in sectors in which the Israeli industry is a toe, such as cybersecurity, to which the government plans to dedicate 20% of the funds of its defense plan.
