The U.S. State Department approved a potential arms sale to Israel on March 7, 2026, bypassing the usual congressional review process by invoking an “emergency” provision. The deal is valued at $151.8 million.
According to a statement released by Washington, the potential sale includes 12,000 BLU-110A/B general purpose bomb bodies, as well as engineering, logistical, and technical support services. The move comes as the conflict between Israel and Iran continues to escalate, with reciprocal attacks spreading to neighboring countries.
A key detail of the transaction is that Repkon USA, a Texas-based company, is the primary contractor. Repkon has roots as a Turkish-based company, a connection that has drawn scrutiny amid the ongoing conflict.
In recent years, Repkon USA had secured contracts to design and establish a production line for 155mm artillery shell igniter cartridges in Texas.
Company Name Changed Quietly
According to reporting from Middle East Eye, the company announced on Tuesday that it had changed its name to Paligen Technologies Inc., rebranding itself as “a U.S.-based defense contractor.”
This sudden name change followed shortly after the U.S. State Department announced its approval of the arms sale to Israel, utilizing the emergency provision to circumvent the standard congressional review.
Gaza Conflict Fuels Debate
The BLU-110 bombs are among the munitions Israel has extensively used during its military operations in Gaza. International organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, and a United Nations-affiliated commission, have concluded that Israel’s actions in Gaza meet the criteria for “war crimes or crimes against humanity.”
The development quickly sparked a wave of criticism on social media, with many focusing on the involvement of a Turkish company in supplying munitions to Israel during a period of heightened regional tensions. Protests erupted outside the company’s headquarters in Istanbul, with demonstrators accusing the firm of complicity in “the deadly policies of the U.S. And Israel.”
Opposition Party Seeks Answers
Members of the opposition in Turkey have submitted formal questions to the government, seeking clarification on whether Ankara approved Repkon’s acquisition of General Dynamics-Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS) Garland Operations facility in March 2025.
The facility is known to be the production site for the bomb bodies slated for delivery to Israel.
Ankara has yet to issue an official statement, but according to Middle East Eye, the silence suggests discomfort with the situation.
“Difficult to Refuse Sale”
As discussions grew in Turkey, questions arose regarding whether the company could refuse the sale to Israel.
Rich Outzen, a senior researcher and military affairs expert at the Atlantic Council, explained that companies are not compelled to accept a sale under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) system, but most do so for commercial reasons. He noted that the company’s U.S. Subsidiaries typically make their own commercial decisions.
A Repkon official stated that the company’s U.S. Management is largely comprised of American citizens and that most commercial decisions are made by the U.S. Subsidiary.
The official asserted that the sale was a transaction with the U.S. Military and that the official end-user is “the U.S. Military.”
Previous Munitions Deal with Israel
Despite these claims, another deal disclosed by the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) in February 2025 demonstrates Repkon USA’s involvement in munitions sales to Israel.
In that agreement, Repkon USA and Boeing were among the primary contractors for a $675.7 million sale of munitions and guidance kits, including:
- 201 MK-83 MOD 4/MOD 5 bomb bodies
- 4,799 BLU-110A/B bomb bodies
Repkon USA was slated to manufacture the bomb bodies, even as Boeing would provide the guidance kits. Deliveries were planned to begin in 2028.
‘Difficult to Say No to U.S. Government’
The Repkon official stated that the company acquired the Garland Operations facility in March and that the recent sale was actually arranged by General Dynamics prior to the acquisition.
The official also stated that the name change was intended to emphasize that the company is an American company operating in accordance with U.S. Law.
The company official added that U.S. Anti-boycott laws also make it difficult to refuse sales to Israel. The U.S. Has various regulations prohibiting boycotts against Israel.
An anonymous U.S. Defense industry expert stated that while a company could theoretically refuse such a sale, it would likely face serious consequences. The expert said:
‘It would be difficult for a company that says no to the U.S. Government to stay afloat for long’
The company released the following statement regarding these developments:
- When recent national and international press reports regarding Repkon Group are examined, it is seen that a communication campaign targeting our company is being carried out through a common narrative created in different countries and media outlets. It is understood that some of these publications are based on unconfirmed claims and aim to create a misleading perception about Repkon.
- Repkon has established itself in international defense industry projects and operates globally thanks to its engineering capabilities and technology development capacity. Our company’s projects carried out in different countries and international collaborations have recently become the subject of various discussions.
- In an article published in Europost, a Greece-based newspaper, Repkon was directly targeted and the phrase “Turkish Trojan Horse” was used for the company. In the said article, Repkon’s activities in the international defense industry ecosystem were presented as a strategic threat.
- Similarly, some publications have raised claims that Repkon is selling to Russia. However, this claim is not true. In fact, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statements showing Repkon as part of the defense supply chain supporting Ukraine clearly demonstrate that the company does not have a commercial relationship with Russia.
- some news reports regarding a munitions supply decision made in the USA have created the impression that Repkon directly made the sale or was the decision-maker. However, there was no request, decision or sales transaction by Repkon in this process.
It is unacceptable that such content in the international press is repeated by some domestic media outlets without questioning and our company is directly targeted. Publications containing unconfirmed claims and targeting our company and employees only harm our institution’s reputation. - Repkon Group closely monitors publications containing false claims and damaging our company’s reputation and reserves the right to capture the necessary legal action. It is respectfully announced to the public.
Source: Gazete Oksijen
