Italy orders Israeli companies removed from Rome airport counter-drone project

Italy's Council of State has ordered the airport operator Aeroporti di Roma to replace an Israeli consortium with Italian electronic warfare company ELT (Elettronica S.p.A.) on the counter-drone protection system at Rome Fiumicino Airport.

The directive removes Israeli defense companies Altintech and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems from the project. ADR has been given 60 days to finalize a contract with ELT.

The ruling overturned a May 2024 decision by the Regional Administrative Court of Lazio that had upheld the Israeli consortium's contract award. The court has also ordered the case file sent to the Rome Public Prosecutor's Office to determine whether criminal investigations into the procurement process are warranted.

Technical experts from Italy's Ministry of Defense determined that the radar system at Fiumicino qualifies as military equipment based on its technical characteristics, its classification under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, and its registration in Italy's national registry of military equipment. The ruling noted that necessary authorizations for importing and operating such military material were not in place.