International media last week were full of stories about Sparks-based Sierra Nevada Corporation being hired recently by the UK government to conduct its ongoing surveillance flights over Gaza.
The Guardian reported this has led to “growing questions about how the intelligence obtained is used and shared with the Israeli military.”
It reported the surveillance program had been transferred to the company run by the local Ozmen family billionaires in late July to reduce costs.
UK authorities have confirmed the unarmed surveillance flights have been conducted over Gaza for the purpose of locating hostages and that its government controls what information is passed to Israeli authorities.
Several locals wrote to us in recent days concerned about this involvement of the Sparks company, which has long standing ties and contracts with different Israeli entities.
These connections include a 2018 agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries “to support development of a new tactical Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) Unmanned Aircraft System.”
Two years ago, the Sparks aerospace and defense company entered an “airborne missile protection system agreement” with Israeli-based BIRD Aerosystems to jointly produce BIRD Airborne Missile Protection Systems.
We have not seen this latest development covered by local northern Nevada media.