November 3, 2020
ANCA’s Stop Drone campaign
Battlefield Evidence Reveals Bayraktar Drones Include U.S. Components and Technology Developed in California, Kansas, South Carolina, and Texas
WASHINGTON— Battlefield evidence confirms that Turkey’s Bayraktar drones – deployed by Azerbaijan against civilians in Artsakh and Armenia – contain parts and technology from U.S. firms, U.S.-based affiliates of foreign firms, and firms located in NATO ally countries (UK, France, Germany, Austrian, and Netherlands), reported the Armenian National Committee of America.
“As Americans of Armenian heritage, we will not – as a matter of U.S. law, legal liability, and basic morality – allow American parts or technology to be used by Turkey and Azerbaijan to kill civilians across Artsakh and Armenia,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “Join with us in demanding legislative action from Congress, a ban by the State Department, and the immediate halt by each of these firms of any current, pending, or future sales or transfers to Ankara and Baku.”
The ANCA has organized a two-pronged campaign, targeting both Congress and the U.S. companies selling drone parts that have been used by Turkey and Azerbaijan to kill Armenians – asking Congress to enforce Arms Export Control laws and the companies themselves to cease any and all sales or transfers that place Armenians at risk.
Documentation can be found at anca.org/proof, a link recently retweeted by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof to his 2,000,000 followers.
Through a grassroots letter-writing campaign – anca.org/stopdrones — and direct outreach, the ANCA is providing information documenting violations of U.S. and international law – including U.S. Arms Export Control laws – to the State Department, Pentagon, Justice Department and the U.S. Congress.
Separately, the ANCA is leading a daily call-tweet-write campaign to U.S. manufacturers encouraging them to stop sales and transfers, starting with Garmin, earlier Tuesday.
A part-by-part analysis obtained by the ANCA reveals that the following Bayraktar drone parts and technology are sourced in the United States:
- Airborne Modem Transceiver, produced by ViaSat in Carlsbad, CA
- Antenna, produced by Comant Industries in Fullerton, CA
- GPS Receiver, Trimble Navigation, Sunnyvale, CA
- Fuel Filter, produced by the US affiliate of German firm Hengst, in Camden, SC
- Stub Bus Coupler, produced by MilesTek, in Lewisville, TX
- GPS Navigation Unit, produced the U.S. affiliate of Swiss firm Garmin, Olathe, KS
- Optical Unit, produced by U.S. affiliate of Canadian firm produced by Wescam, Orlando, FL
- Radar Altimetre, produced by U.S. affiliate of German firm Smart Microwave Sensors, Irvine, CA
- Sealed Fuel Reservoir, produced by U.S. affiliate of French firm Beringer, Greenville, SC