Europe’s largest missile manufacturer, MBDA, has been linked to the supply chain of bombs used in Israeli air strikes on Gaza that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians, including children, according to a joint investigation by The Guardian, Disclose, and Follow the Money.
The investigation, whose details were published on Thursday, traces key components of the GBU-39 small diameter bomb, which has been deployed in multiple air strikes since the October 7, 2023 Hamas cross-border operation on Israel.
In retaliation, Israel launched a genocidal military assault on Gaza that has drawn international concern over the scale of civilian casualties and destruction.
MBDA, a multinational defence company jointly owned by BAE Systems (UK), Airbus (France), and Leonardo (Italy), manufactures “wings” for the GBU-39 at a factory in Alabama, in the United States. These extend after launch, enabling the bomb to be guided accurately to its target.
The bombs themselves are produced by US defence giant Boeing. Revenues from MBDA’s US arm flow through MBDA UK, headquartered in Hertfordshire, and on to the group’s central office in France.
According to company records, MBDA distributed nearly $471 million in dividends last year to its three shareholders.
Verified civilian casualties
Using open-source evidence and expert analysis, the investigation verified 24 instances where GBU-39 bombs were used in strikes that resulted in civilian deaths. Each of those incidents reportedly included children among the fatalities.
Many of the attacks took place without warning, at night, and targeted buildings such as schools and tent camps where displaced civilians had been sheltering.
Some of these air strikes are currently under scrutiny by the United Nations and Amnesty International, both of which have raised concerns about potential violations of international humanitarian law.
Amnesty has described several of the strikes as suspected war crimes.
MBDA confirmed its contractual relationship with Boeing to supply the bomb’s wing assemblies and said in a statement that it “complies [with] all relevant national and international laws applicable to the arms trade in the countries in which it operates … all of whom have export policies and operate robust export control regimes.”
Flow of arms and international scrutiny
The GBU-39 is supplied to Israel through the US military aid programme, which allows for arms to be purchased using American grants and loans. Bombs have been supplied both from Boeing directly and from US military stockpiles.
Since October 2023, an estimated 4,800 GBU-39 bombs have been delivered to Israel. The most recent shipment, consisting of 2,166 bombs, was announced in February 2025 — coinciding with United Nations reports that nearly 70 percent of Gaza had been reduced to rubble.
In September, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy suspended some arms export licences to Israel, citing the risk of “serious violations” of international humanitarian law. “The move was designed to target items which could be used in the current conflict in Gaza,” Lammy said.
However, campaigners have said the UK’s actions fall short of addressing the broader flow of weapons.
The pause applies only to military equipment exported directly from Britain and does not affect MBDA’s operations in the United States.
The GBU-39, launched from fighter jets, carries a relatively small payload of less than 250 pounds and is designed to strike targets with precision, limiting damage to surrounding structures.
Its use has been promoted by US officials, including under President Joe Biden, as an alternative to heavier munitions used earlier in the conflict.
Nonetheless, experts say the bomb can be devastating in densely populated areas.
According to the investigation, the 24 verified strikes between November 2023 and May 2025 resulted in more than 500 deaths, including at least 100 children.
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, Israel has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since late October 2023, killing nearly 59,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and the spread of diseases.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its war on the enclave.
