California chemical leak firm produced F-35 parts for Israel: Report
The aerospace manufacturer behind a chemical leak that forced thousands to evacuate in California produces canopy components for F-35 fighter jets likely destined for Israel, with the facility securing over $255 million in defense subcontracts since 2017, according to a US media report.
GKN Aerospace's facility in Garden Grove, California — the source of a chemical leak that prompted up to 50,000 residents to evacuate last week — produces acrylic canopy components for F-35 fighter jets likely destined for Israel, according to a report by The Intercept.
Defense contracts and Israel links
The plant has secured more than $255 million in subcontracts from Lockheed Martin since 2017, including over $13 million in recent years for F-35 production work, the report stated. Lockheed Martin relies on hundreds of subcontractors across more than a dozen countries to support F-35 manufacturing.
"Due to the nature of the F-35's global supply chain, it is likely that the F-35 components produced at the Garden Grove facility are incorporated into aircraft exported to Israel," said John Ramming Chappell, advocacy and legal advisor at Center for Civilians in Conflict. He added that "this is the same type of aircraft that the Israeli military has used to kill civilians and violate international humanitarian law."
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'Community pays the price'
Sofia Awaida, an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement and a Garden Grove resident who was evacuated due to the leak, said on Tuesday that "while GKN chases contracts and profits, our community pays the price with school closures and disrupted livelihoods." She added that "our people abroad pay the price when the same weapon systems produced here are used to massacre people in Gaza, in Lebanon, in Iran and all across the region."
Local authorities ordered mass evacuations affecting up to 50,000 residents, with schools closed and livelihoods disrupted throughout the Garden Grove community.
Chemical leak details
The incident occurred last week when a chemical storage tank ruptured at the facility, releasing methyl methacrylate — a highly flammable substance that serves as a key ingredient in the protective canopies. GKN Aerospace states that its Garden Grove facility is the leading producer of the acrylic transparency canopy for the F-35 fighter jet cockpit.
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