Shadow R1 Surveillance: Unveiling UK’s Secret Reconnaissance Flights Over Gaza
Watan-A British investigative organization has revealed that the United Kingdom’s air force conducted 50 reconnaissance flights over the skies of the Gaza Strip to provide intelligence information to Israel.
The organization previously reported that the British Defense Minister stated in November that British flights were providing reconnaissance support to Israel, including preventing the transfer of weapons to the resistance.
However, the Ministry of Defense later stated that the surveillance flights were only aimed at assisting in locating British prisoners in Gaza.
When the UK government was asked, it refused to disclose the number of spy flights, but the Declassified company analyzed flight tracking records.
The specialized organization, focused on researching military and intelligence institutions, stated on its website that the planes took off from the British Akrotiri Air Base in southern British-administered Cyprus, conducting 50 reconnaissance flights over the skies of Gaza since early December, with one flight per day, providing intelligence information to Israel.
The aircraft used for surveillance is the British Shadow R1
The aircraft used for surveillance is the British Shadow R1, known for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR). The Shadow R1 is operated by Squadron 14 of the British Army, based at the Royal Air Force Waddington base in Lincolnshire, eastern England.
The British Army recently awarded a £110 million contract to the American weapons manufacturer Raytheon to update the aircraft and increase the British fleet from six to eight.
British flights began on December 3, with two R1 aircraft flying over Gaza. The flights have continued almost daily since, with about half the days witnessing two flights. On January 3, the British sent an R1 aircraft over Gaza three times. The flights seem to last approximately six hours.
The British Ministry of Defense announced on December 2 that it would start reconnaissance flights over Gaza “to support prisoner rescue activities.” The ministry stated, “The safety of British citizens is our top priority,” adding that “surveillance aircraft will be unarmed, have no combat role, and their only mission will be to locate prisoners.” The ministry claimed that information related to the rescue of prisoners would be transferred only to the authorities responsible for their rescue.
However, the unusual number of flights and the fact that they began almost two months after the detainees were captured raise suspicions that the United Kingdom is not gathering intelligence information for this purpose alone.
Israeli forces are also present on the ground in Gaza, with extensive surveillance capabilities in the region. It is unclear what the British Shadow R1 aircraft can add to the prisoner rescue mission, as stated by the organization.
