Italian Court Cancels Israeli Rafael's Drone Defense Contract at Rome Airport

Italy's Supreme Administrative Court has overturned a previous ruling, canceling the contract awarded to Israeli defense company Rafael for supplying an anti-drone system at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino International Airport. The system was initially provided by a consortium including Rafael and the Italian company Altintech. The court ordered the contract to be transferred to a competing Italian firm, ELT, with the airport management given 60 days to complete the transition.

The cancellation stems from a detailed technical report by Italian defense experts who classified Rafael's radar system as military equipment rather than civilian technology. This classification was based on factors such as power consumption, operating temperature, frequency bands, regulatory oversight under military equipment laws, and its registration in Italy's national arms database. Consequently, the radar required special import permits and security clearances that were allegedly not properly obtained.

In an unusual move, Italian authorities have forwarded all related documentation and evidence to the Rome public prosecutor to investigate potential criminal misconduct by airport management during the project. The airport operator, Aeroporti di Roma (ADR), rejected the allegations, asserting that the radar is dual-use technology suitable for civilian applications and is safely deployed at other European airports and major events.

ADR emphasized it acted transparently throughout the tender process under strict aviation authority supervision and pledged to fully comply with the court ruling while ensuring uninterrupted airport security and drone scanning operations. The case highlights diplomatic and security tensions due to Rafael's close ties to Israel's military-industrial complex and raises questions about the import and use of defense-related technology in civilian infrastructure within the EU.