Italian Court Ousts Israeli Defense Firms From Rome Airport Security Project

Two Israeli defense companies have been removed from a security contract at Rome's Fiumicino Airport following a ruling by Italy's highest administrative court.

Italy's Council of State ordered Aeroporti di Roma, which operates the airport, to award the counter-drone system contract to Italian electronic warfare company ELT instead of the Israeli consortium comprising Altintech and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. The decision reverses a May 2024 ruling by the Regional Administrative Court of Lazio that had supported the original Israeli contract award. ADR has 60 days to finalize a new agreement with ELT.

The court also referred the case to the Rome Public Prosecutor's Office to assess whether the procurement process should trigger a criminal investigation.

The dispute centered on how to classify the radar system at the airport. Italy's Defense Ministry determined the radar qualified as military equipment based on its technical specifications, its classification under international arms regulations, and its listing in Italy's military equipment registry. The court found that required authorizations for importing and operating military equipment had not been obtained.

ADR countered that the radar is a dual-use system already in operation at other European airports and used to secure major public events.

The airport operator said it will comply with the court's decision while maintaining uninterrupted security operations, stating that counter-drone protection at Fiumicino Airport will remain fully operational during the transition.