ISTANBUL

French company Sermat will ship drone components to Israeli weapons producer Elbit Systems, investigative media outlet Disclose revealed on Friday.

Sermat is reportedly set to ship a consignment of equipment on Oct. 20 for drones designed by Elbit Systems, marking the fourth such contract between a French company and an Israeli arms supplier uncovered by Disclose since the war in Gaza began.

The media outlet revealed that the shipping company UPS received eight packages at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport on Wednesday, containing alternators made by Sermat, a company specializing in electromechanical equipment for aerospace, defense, and space.

The type of alternators being shipped to Elbit Systems is reportedly designed to equip Hermes 900 and Hermes 450 drones, which had been deployed in Israeli strikes on Gaza.

The investigation also found that over the past two years, Sermat delivered 29 alternators and 171 actuators—electric motors used for the stabilization and precise control of unmanned aerial vehicles—to Elbit Systems.

Disclose asked whether the French government was aware of the planned Oct. 20 delivery and previous shipments, but the ministries of armed forces and economy did not respond.

According to documents seen by the media outlet, authorities have long ignored Sermat's actuators because they are not classified as military or dual-use equipment, requiring no export authorization.

Disclose noted that French-made military equipment worth €27.1 million ($31 million) was shipped to Israel, while the government authorized the sale of dual-use items totaling €74 million ($86 million) in 2024, highlighting that France has not cut trade ties despite being a signatory to international conventions restricting arms exports to countries where they could be used against civilians.