CrossFireArabia
The British military has secretly hired a US private company to conduct aerial surveillance over Gaza in search of Israeli soldier prisoners, according to The Times.
Due to a shortage of available RAF reconnaissance planes, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) turned to a Nevada-based firm, Straight Flight Nevada Commercial Leasing LLC. The company is a subsidiary of Sierra Nevada Corporation, one of the largest US military contractors.
The aircraft used, a Boeing Beech King Air 350i registered as N6147U, flew over southern Gaza on July 28. Its flight path was unintentionally revealed after the crew failed to switch off the transponder. This mistake exposed the plane’s presence over Khan Yunis, raising questions about Britain’s role in supporting Israeli operations.
Two UK defence sources confirmed to The Times that the government is paying for the aircraft and its missions. The plane is contractor-owned and operated, meaning British pilots are not flying it. The MoD has declined to disclose the cost or duration of the contract.
Sources say the MoD’s own fleet of Shadow R1 aircraft, which previously flew over Gaza, is either undergoing maintenance or assigned to other missions. One source described the outsourcing as a “privatization” of military intelligence and called it “shocking.”
“This is about supporting Israel,” a senior British military official told The Times. “Instead of sending a message that we’re pulling back, we’re hiring American contractors to do the job.”
Between December 2023 and July 2025, the RAF’s Shadow fleet reportedly carried out over 600 surveillance flights over Gaza. Intelligence gathered during those missions was shared with Israel to allegely help locate israeli soldier prisoners according to the Quds News Network.
