Adani Defence has refuted allegations from a left-leaning news portal that it supplied complete armed drones to Israel for potential use in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza. The company clarified that they only provided components for the Israeli-made Hermes-900 UAV.
The news portal had alleged that Adani Defence supplied 20 complete Hermes-900 drones to Israel. Adani Defence countered this claim, stating that their role was limited to supplying 20 aerostructures (essential components) for the UAV. They emphasized that they do not have control over the final arming or deployment of the Hermes-900, which is an Israeli-developed system.
Adani Defence acquired Alpha Design Technologies, who had an existing supplier relationship with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the developer of the Hermes-900. Despite stressing that the Hermes-900 cannot be armed directly from their components, Adani Defence acknowledges its limited control over the end use of supplied parts.
The news portal's criticism appears aimed at pressuring the Indian government to restrict military-related exports to Israel, especially those with potential use in conflict zones. However, the Indian government may have limited influence over a private component supplier, who does not hold intellectual property rights for the end product.
