Israel's military has completed trials of an advanced weapon made by a Canberra-based defence supplier which boasts its “high precision” and “lethal” product can strike targets up to two kilometres away.
The ABC can reveal the remote weapon system (RWS), designed and built by Australian company Electro Optic Systems (EOS), was one of dozens of counter drone technologies tested by the Israel Defense Forces earlier this year.
A defence industry source claims the Australian-made components were first sent to an EOS entity in the United States for assembly, before being shipped to Israel without an Australian export approval.
For months, the Albanese government has insisted “no Australian weaponry” has been exported to Israel, and the Defence Department has again told the ABC that “Australia has not supplied weapons or ammunition to Israel” since the Gaza war began in 2023.
In a statement, EOS declined to comment on whether its R400 RWS has been demonstrated in Israel telling the ABC it “does not publicise commercially sensitive information regarding clients, existing contracts or business development campaigns”.
However, documents supplied to the Australian Stock Exchange in February reveal that EOS “supported a local prime to demonstrate counter-drone capabilities in a high-profile local demonstration” in January 2025, but did not specify where it took place.
The “Market Development Update” includes a photo of Israeli Ministry of Defense officials standing behind a modified R400 and states that the “EOS’ system performed extremely well, earning high praise from the organisers”.
On EOS’s website the R400 is described as “Lightweight 30mm lethality with precise mobile engagements up to 2 km” and “a high-precision weapon platform with the firepower of a 30 mm cannon”.
“The R400 also supports other weapons, such as machine guns, automatic grenade launchers, and anti-tank guided missiles. It is compatible with other EOS weapon systems through ‘plug-and-play’ functionality.”
Israel’s Ministry of Defence announced in February it had “successfully completed an extensive series of operational trials testing approximately 20 advanced counter-drone technologies”.
“Nine Israeli defence industries and startups demonstrated various drone interception and neutralisation capabilities using both projectile-based systems and counter-drones at a testing field in southern Israel,” the Ministry said in a press release.
An accompanying photograph shows Israeli Defence Ministry officials and industry representative standing behind an R400 system, which is the same image included in the EOS “Market Development Update” provided to the Australian Stock Exchange.
In response to questions on whether EOS sought approval to demonstrate its R400, a Defence Department spokesperson insisted Australia had “not supplied weapons or ammunition to Israel since the conflict began, and for at least the past five years.
“As the circumstances of the conflict have evolved, the Government has calibrated its approach and has only approved new export permits to Israel for items for Australian defence and law enforcement that will return to Australia,” the spokesperson said.
“Defence has also been undertaking a process to scrutinise the pre-existing export permits to Israel. These pre-existing permits were all approved before the conflict began and none of the permits relate to weapons or ammunition.”
Asked whether it had sought permission to export the lethal technology, and whether the product had first gone to the United States, an EOS spokesperson told the ABC that that the company “complies with all relevant regulations at all times”.
“EOS operates under the trade control regulations of the countries it is based in, due to the nature of its products and technologies,” the spokesperson added.
“That includes detailed regulations in Australia and other host countries where EOS manufactures products, like the United States.”
Greens Senator David Shoebridge says the involvement of EOS exposes the Albanese government’s “lies” that Australia has not supported Israel’s military campaign against Gaza, a position reinforced this week by the Prime Minister during a leaders’ debate.
"What we can see clearly here is an Australian made weapon in the hands of the Israeli military in Israel in January this year and I think that really puts the lie to these denials we've had from the Albanese government since this appalling conflict started," Senator Shoebridge told the ABC.
