Draft:Instro Precision

Instro Precision Limited

Industry	Defense (military), Targeting systems
Founded	1964 (1964)
Headquarters	Sandwich, Kent, U.K.
Key people	Dagan Yogev (CEO)
Products	Targeting systems, defence electronics and electro-optical products
Revenue	£30.9 million (2024)
Net income	£370,000 (2024)
Total assets	£16.3 million (2024)
Total equity	£5.0 million (2024)
Owners	Elbit Systems
Number of employees	83 (2024)
Website	instro.com

Instro Precision Limited is a British defence electronics and electro-optical engineering company based in Kent, England. Founded in 1964, the company specialises in the design, manufacture and integration of electro-optical systems and associated support equipment for military and commercial applications. Since 2008 it has operated as part of the Israeli defence company Elbit Systems through its UK subsidiary, Elbit Systems UK.

History

Instro Precision traces its origins to 1964, when it began operations as a precision engineering contractor supplying equipment to the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence. Over subsequent decades the company developed expertise in ruggedised mounts, positioners and support systems for optical and surveillance equipment. Its facilities were originally located in Broadstairs, Kent, before later expanding operations at Discovery Park near Sandwich.

In 2008, Instro Precision was acquired by Elbit Systems, one of Israel's largest defence technology companies. Following the acquisition, the company became integrated into Elbit Systems UK's operations and was designated the group's British centre of excellence for electro-optical technologies. The acquisition formed part of Elbit's wider expansion within the United Kingdom defence sector.

Corporate filings show that ownership of Instro Precision is held by Elbit Systems UK Limited, which controls the company through a majority shareholding.

Products and activities

Instro Precision manufactures and integrates electro-optical systems used for surveillance, target acquisition and battlefield awareness. Its products include:

• Night vision systems, including image-intensified night vision goggles supplied to the British Army;
• Thermal imaging and target acquisition equipment used by forward observers and artillery units;
• Precision tripod mounts and positioners for sensors and weapon-sighting systems;
• Electro-optical payload support equipment for military platforms;
• Ground surveillance and reconnaissance systems;
• Laser rangefinding and observation systems.

The company acts both as a manufacturer of indigenous products and as a systems integrator for technologies developed elsewhere within the Elbit Systems group.

Instro Precision participated in programmes supporting the British Army's Dismounted Joint Fires Integrator (D-JFI) capability, providing electro-optical systems intended for Joint Terminal Attack Controllers and Fire Support Teams. The company has also supplied night-vision equipment and sensor systems for UK armed forces programmes.

Position within Elbit Systems UK

Instro Precision forms part of Elbit Systems UK, which operates several subsidiaries and facilities across Britain. Within the group, Instro serves as a specialist electro-optics business and contributes to the development and production of sensor technologies for domestic and export customers.

Public attention

Since the early 2020s, Instro Precision has been the subject of protests by campaign groups opposed to arms exports and the activities of Elbit Systems. Demonstrations and direct actions have targeted the company's facilities in Kent, drawing public attention to its role within Elbit Systems' international supply chain.

NGO and Press coverage

Since 2023, Instro Precision has attracted attention from campaign groups and media organisations because of its ownership by Elbit Systems and its exports to Israel.

In November 2023, the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) published a fact sheet on UK military exports to Israel which identified Instro Precision as "the Elbit site in the UK most connected to goods used by the [Israeli armed forces]", stating that the company manufactures targeting equipment for troops and vehicles and holds export licences to Israel.

In May 2025, investigative outlets Declassified UK and The Ditch published a joint report alleging that Instro Precision had shipped military equipment, including tripod support systems, radar-related equipment and aerial reflectors, to Elbit Systems facilities in Israel between November 2023 and May 2025. According to the report, the shipments were transported via Heathrow Airport to Tel Aviv and included items described as "tripod support systems", "radar kits" and "aerial reflectors and parts". The article stated that several of the consignments were marked "NLR" ("No Licence Required").

The report questioned how such exports related to the United Kingdom government's September 2024 suspension of certain export licences for military equipment to Israel. In response, a spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade told Declassified UK that export licensing requirements are determined under the Export Control Order 2008 and that licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the UK's Strategic Export Licensing Criteria.

The article also noted that activists from Palestine Action had previously targeted Instro Precision's Kent facility in June 2024, leading to criminal prosecutions against several individuals. Subsequent reporting highlighted the Crown Prosecution Service's decision to allege a possible "terrorism connection" under Section 69 of the Sentencing Act in relation to those offences.

Protest activity

Instro Precision has been the focus of repeated protests by pro-Palestinian campaign groups because of its ownership by Elbit Systems and its role in the manufacture of military electro-optical equipment.

In June 2024, activists associated with Palestine Action entered Instro Precision's facility at Discovery Park in Sandwich, Kent, after breaching the site's security perimeter. The group stated that the action was intended to disrupt the company's operations because of Elbit Systems' links to the Israeli defence sector. Damage to the site was reported to exceed £1 million and a number of activists were subsequently charged with criminal offences.

In September 2024, a further protest took place at Discovery Park during which red paint was sprayed onto buildings and security infrastructure. Protesters displayed banners reading "Free Palestine", "Stop Elbit" and "Shut Down Instro". Although the protest was directed at Instro Precision, evidence presented at Canterbury Crown Court later established that the building targeted was occupied by Discovery Park rather than Instro Precision itself. The estimated damage was revised from an initial figure of approximately £90,000 to around £15,000.

In June 2026, five defendants charged in connection with the red paint protest were acquitted by a jury at Canterbury Crown Court. During the trial, Judge Sarah Counsell instructed jurors that Palestine Action's subsequent designation as a proscribed organisation in 2025 was irrelevant to the offences being considered. Following the acquittals, Instro Precision reiterated that its products support the British Army and condemned attempts to disrupt its operations.

The company has also been the subject of demonstrations by other campaign groups advocating an arms embargo on Israel. These protests formed part of a wider campaign directed at Elbit Systems UK subsidiaries and facilities across the United Kingdom.

Belgian seizure of illegal shipments

In April 2026, Belgian authorities reported the interception of shipments of military-related equipment at Liège Airport that had originated in the United Kingdom and were destined for Israel. Belgian media reported that the cargo was inspected following concerns that it contained controlled military items, and that a criminal investigation had been opened to determine whether export control or transit regulations had been breached.

According to Walloon minister-president, Adrien Dolimont, “We have to see if the legislation has been respected. Here, in this case, it’s clear that it hasn’t. No transit licence was requested; if it had been, it would have been refused”.

Statements from the Belgian government and media reports identified one of the seized shipments as being for “lasers, sights, fire control systems" and coming under the ML5 military list categorisation (targeting and fire control systems) in the UK's Strategic Export Control lists. According to a local NGO, the exporting company was named by Walloonian authorities as being Instro Precision Limited. The outcome of the criminal investigation expected in August 2026.

See also:

Elbit Systems, Elbit Systems UK, Electro-optics, Night vision device