Italy removes ‘Israeli’ companies from Rome Airport project
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Italy’s highest administrative court has ordered the removal of ‘Israeli’ defense firms, including Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, from a counter-drone protection project at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport, one of Europe’s busiest aviation hubs.
Italy’s Council of State ruled that Aeroporti di Roma (ADR), the operator of Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport, must replace an ‘Israeli’ consortium with the Italian electronic warfare company ELT Group (Elettronica S.p.A.) within 60 days.
The decision effectively ends the involvement of Rafael, the maker of ‘Israel’s’ Iron Dome system, and its partner Altintech in the airport’s anti-drone defenses.
The ruling overturns a May 2024 decision by the Regional Administrative Court of Lazio that had upheld the original contract award to the ‘Israeli’ group.
Central to the Council of State’s judgment was the classification of the radar system installed at Fiumicino.
Technical experts from Italy’s Defense Ministry determined that the system qualifies as military equipment based on its technical characteristics, its listing under US International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and its registration in Italy’s national military equipment registry.
The court found that the required authorizations for importing and operating such material had not been obtained.
ADR has maintained that the radar is a dual-use system already used at other European airports and for major public events.
The airport operator stated it will fully comply with the ruling while ensuring that counter-drone operations continue without interruption during the transition.
The court also ordered that the case file be sent to the Rome Public Prosecutor’s Office to assess whether a criminal investigation into the procurement process is warranted.
The decision comes against a backdrop of strained Italy-‘Israel’ relations.
Italy suspended new arms export licenses to ‘Israel’ in late 2024 and, in April 2026, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the suspension of the automatic renewal of a long-standing bilateral defense cooperation agreement following an incident involving Italian UNIFIL peacekeepers in Lebanon.
