Israel Tests Aussie Weapon Ahead of Potential Military Deal

It turns out Israel's military has been testing a pretty advanced weapon system that was made by a defence company based in Canberra, Australia. The tech is called a Remote Weapon System (or RWS), and it's made by Electro Optic Systems – EOS for short. It’s designed for high precision and can apparently hit targets up to two kilometres away. Pretty lethal stuff.

Now, this particular system – the R400 – was among a bunch of counter-drone technologies that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) tried out earlier this year. But here's where things get murky: even though the system was built by an Aussie company, it was first sent to an EOS facility in the U.S. for assembly, and then reportedly shipped to Israel – all without an official Australian export approval.

The Albanese government has been pretty firm for months, saying “no Australian weaponry” has gone to Israel, especially since the war in Gaza began back in 2023. The Defence Department backed that up again recently, saying that Australia hasn't supplied weapons or ammunition to Israel since the conflict kicked off.

Even Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed it again on Friday. He acknowledged reports about the R400 but said the company confirmed with Defence that the system wasn't exported from Australia. “Australia does not export weapons to Israel,” he said.

EOS itself wouldn’t confirm or deny whether the R400 had been shown off in Israel, saying it doesn’t talk about client stuff or business development publicly. But here’s the kicker – in documents it filed with the Australian Stock Exchange earlier this year, EOS mentioned it had “supported a local prime” in demonstrating its tech during a “high-profile” event in January 2025. They didn’t say where, but a photo in that same update shows Israeli defence officials standing behind the R400 system.

That same image also appeared in an announcement from Israel’s Ministry of Defence, which said it had successfully run a series of trials with about 20 advanced counter-drone technologies – some projectile-based, others using drones to stop drones. EOS’s R400 was clearly part of that, and the ministry said the demos earned “high praise.”

The R400 itself is no joke. On EOS’s website, it’s described as a high-precision platform equipped with a 30mm cannon and the ability to mount other weapons like machine guns, grenade launchers, and anti-tank missiles. Basically, it’s a modular, plug-and-play system with serious firepower.

When asked if EOS got permission to demo this tech in Israel, the Defence Department said again that Australia hasn’t supplied weapons or ammo to Israel since the war began, and actually hasn’t for at least five years. They added that the only export permits granted recently were for items that are being used by Australians (like our Defence or police) and will come back to Australia afterward. Also, they’re reviewing older export permits that were approved before the war – none of which, they say, are for weapons or ammo.

When pressed on whether the system was sent through the U.S. first, EOS just said they follow all trade control laws in the countries where they operate, including Australia and the U.S.

But Greens Senator David Shoebridge isn’t buying it. He says this whole situation shows the Albanese government hasn’t been truthful about its stance on supporting Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. He put it bluntly: “We can see clearly here an Australian-made weapon in the hands of the Israeli military in Israel in January this year. That really puts the lie to these denials we've had from the Albanese government since this appalling conflict started.”