The data indicates how goods from US Air Force Plant 4 in Fort Worth are being transported to Haifa port in Israel on two Maersk container ships between 5 April and 1 May, and then a separate company will courier them by land to Nevatim air base.<\/p>\n
Air Force Plant 4 is a US government-owned facility which is operated by Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor in the international consortium that produces F-35 jets.<\/p>\n
It hosts a mile-long factory where F-35 fighter jets and components are produced before being dispatched to NATO partners and allies including Israel.<\/p>\n
Nevatim air base is home to Israel\u2019s squadron of F-35s, which have been used to commit war crimes in Gaza.<\/p>\n
Last year, the Israeli air force used<\/a> an F-35 fighter jet to drop a 2,000lb bomb on a designated safe zone in Gaza, Al-Mawasi, killing 90 people.<\/p>\n A representative from the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), an organisation which has led an international campaign against Maersk, commented: \u201cThese Israeli fighter jets criss-cross Palestine\u2019s skies every day; they are the military foundation for the current Israeli genocide, which has indiscriminately targeted every facet of social life in Gaza, murdering and maiming hundreds of thousands of our people from the air\u201d.<\/p>\n Maersk did not respond to a request for comment prior to publication but a representative later told Declassified that Maersk Detroit and Nexoe Maersk \u201care carrying containers with F-35 parts. However, these shipments are destined for other countries participating in the F-35 program\u201d.<\/p>\n They added: \u201cAs part of the coalition-building of the F-35, Maersk Line Limited regularly transports parts between participating countries, including Israel, where F-35 wings are manufactured. These shipments, however, are conducted on behalf of suppliers \u2013 not the Israeli\u202fMinistry of Defense\u201d.<\/p>\n Cargo documents seen by Declassified suggest that at least some F-35 equipment will be unloaded in Haifa.<\/p>\n Maersk clarified that it did not possess details of where cargo that left the ship in Haifa would be sent afterwards, and so Maersk itself was not sending items directly to Nevatim or the Israeli military.<\/p>\n RELATED<\/p>\n Transatlantic voyage<\/p>\n The equipment will be loaded onto a cargo ship named Maersk Detroit, which sets sail from the port of Houston on 5 April.<\/p>\n The US-flagged Maersk Detroit will cross the Atlantic and dock two weeks later in Tangier, Morocco, where the cargo will be transferred onto another container ship named Nexoe Maersk.\u00a0<\/p>\n This latter ship will be arriving in Tangier from Algeciras<\/a> in Spain, where arms shipments to Israel have been the subject of protest campaigns.<\/p>\n It will take nine days for Nexoe Maersk to travel through the Mediterranean Sea before arriving at the Port of Haifa, Israel, scheduled for 1 May.\u00a0<\/p>\n The cargo will then be transported by a different company over land to Nevatim air base, a key launchpad for the Israeli air force\u2019s bombing campaigns in Gaza.<\/p>\n More than 2,000 shipments by Maersk<\/p>\n Maersk, the world\u2019s largest integrated logistics and shipping company, has come under intense scrutiny for transporting military supplies for Israel.<\/p>\n In November 2024, the PYM revealed<\/a> how the company had \u201cshipped millions of pounds (lb) of military goods to the Israeli military from the United States, across more than 2,000 shipments\u201d between September 2023 and September 2024.<\/p>\n It further showed<\/a> how \u201c2,110 US shipments on Maersk vessels [were] listed as being shipped to or on behalf of the Government of Israel\u2019s Ministry of Defense\u201d, with 827 of those \u201cfor armored vehicles, tactical vehicles, weapons systems, or parts thereof\u201d.<\/p>\n The revelations led to protests<\/a> in Tangier, Morocco, where Maersk will be transshipping the cargo bound for Israel between 20 and 22 April.<\/p>\n The PYM also pressured the government of Spain to block the entry of Maersk vessels suspected of carrying military goods to Israel, leading the US Federal Maritime Commission to open an inquiry into the possibility of levelling punitive sanctions against Spanish shipping.<\/p>\n Yemen\u2019s Houthis have targeted Maersk\u2019s shipping operations as part of their efforts to blockade trade routes to Israel.<\/p>\n In January 2024, the Houthis fired three ballistic missiles at the Maersk Detroit while it was passing through the Gulf of Aden. <\/p>\n US Central Command said<\/a> one missile hit the sea while the other two were shot down by a US warship.The company\u2019s US-flagged subsidiary, Maersk Line, Limited (MLL), operates ships that support<\/a> the American government.<\/p>\n RELATED<\/p>\n Air Force Plant 4<\/p>\n Israel acquired its first two F-35 fighter jets in 2016. Since then, Israel has received an additional 40 F-35s, and aims to increase the size of its fleet to 75 over the coming years.<\/p>\n Lockheed Martin\u2019s Air Force Plant 4 has been integral to Israel\u2019s procurement of the fighter jets. In June 2016, Israel\u2019s defence minister Avigdor Liberman travelled to the Texas site to see the F-35s unveiled.<\/p>\n \u201cThe F-35\u2019s technology represents the crown jewel of air power superiority\u201d, Liberman told a crowd. The rollout ceremony was broadcast live on Israeli television, with Lieberman adding that the jet would \u201cdramatically enhance\u201d Israel\u2019s ability to defend itself against both \u201cconventional and unconventional\u201d threats.<\/p>\n Israeli air force chief Brigadier General Tal Kelman was also at the ceremony. He\u00a0said<\/a>: \u201cAs a pilot who has flown more than 30 years in a great variety of aircraft, I had the privilege of flying the F-35 simulator in Fort Worth and it was like holding the future in my hands\u201d.<\/p>\n Lockheed Martin chairman Marillyn Hewson added: \u201cWe\u2019re honored to partner with Israel and help strengthen the deep and lasting partnership between our two nations\u201d.<\/p>\n Britain\u2019s F-35 support<\/p>\n Over 15% of the components for the F-35 are made in the UK, including the rear fuselage, ejector seat and electronics. More than 100 UK-based companies contribute to the fighter jet\u2019s supply chain.<\/p>\n
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