Largest ‘Israeli’ weapons company suspended by NATO amid corruption probe

• NATO's procurement agency (NSPA) has suspended ‘Israel's’ largest military contractor, Elbit Systems, from bidding on new contracts amid an ongoing international corruption investigation.
• The probe centers on alleged bribery schemes linked to NSPA officials, with the suspension impacting 13 existing Elbit contracts worth approximately €100 million.

‘Israel's’ largest military contractor, Elbit Systems, has been suspended from bidding on new contracts by NATO's procurement agency, the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), amid an ongoing international corruption investigation - French news outlet La Lettre reported today.

The suspension, which took effect on July 31, 2025, also places several of Elbit's existing contracts on hold, impacting the company's role as a key supplier to the military alliance and its 32 member states.

Elbit, known for producing advanced weaponry and systems, is not directly under investigation, but the probe centers on alleged bribery schemes linked to its dealings with NSPA officials.

The Scandal 

The corruption scandal erupted in May 2025 with coordinated police raids across seven countries, including Belgium and the United States, leading to multiple arrests.

Investigators in Belgium and Luxembourg, where NSPA is headquartered in Capellen, are examining suspicions of graft in contract awards, involving bribes potentially worth millions of euros.

A key figure in the probe is Eliau Eluasvili, a 60-year-old Italian consultant associated with Elbit, against whom an international arrest warrant was issued on September 30, 2025, for active corruption and participation in a criminal organization.

Eluasvili is suspected of using shell companies in multiple countries to influence NSPA decisions.

Another implicated individual is Guy Moeraert, a former NSPA agent from Belgium, who has been indicted on charges of active and passive corruption, money laundering, and criminal organization involvement.

Authorities allege Moeraert received approximately €1.9 million in commissions and collaborated with Eluasvili to secure favorable outcomes for weapon manufacturing firms.

The investigation has also touched on other cases, including alleged bribes in explosives and fuel contracts, highlighting broader irregularities within NSPA's procurement processes.

Of the 15 NSPA programs suspended due to suspected fraudulent activities, 13 were awarded to Elbit Systems or its subsidiary Orion Advanced Systems, totaling around €100 million in value.

These contracts cover items such as rocket primers, anti-missile decoys, 155mm propellant charges, and a refurbishment program for Portuguese offshore patrol boats.

An internal NSPA letter from munitions program head Céline Danielli, dated July 31, 2025, described the procurement strategy as "unworkable" given the scale of the suspicions.

The probe has raised questions about political interference, particularly after two US investigations into the scandal were abruptly dropped in July 2025.

Revelations about these dropped probes emerged in October 2025, prompting demands for transparency from NATO member states.