Ispra

operating in:

Also Operates in:
Israel, France, Switzerland

Main Products:

Cyclone Drop System, Thunderstorm Tear Gas Launcher, Tear Gas Grenades, CS-Tear Gas

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Ispra

Also known as – Ispra by E.I ltd ; Israel Product Research Co.ltd

General Information

The Israeli company ISPRA ltd. was founded in 1969. Its headquarters were located in Zichron Yaakov, today they are in Herzliya, Israel.

ISPRA uses the tag line “smart solutions for riot control”. The company specializes in the production of tear gas and other “non-lethal” or “less than lethal” ammunition. ISPRA declared that they export to more than 40 countries around the world and is the preferred supplier by the Israeli military and police Forces and Prisons Authorities.[1]Who Profits – Ispra – Israel Product Research – Company Report

However, they have a relatively limited online presence, with minimal information available on who they export to, their financial status, number of employees, or annual reports.

The company’s products include among others chemical irritants, kinetic weapons (riot guns, batons, rubber rounds), water cannons, stun grenades, electro-shock weapons, tear gas fog ejectors, tear gas hand and launchable grenades, 1.5 riot guns, tear gas aerosols, and more.[2]Israel Defense : ISPRA Israel Product Research Information[3]Crowd Control Technologies : An Assessment Of Crowd Control Technology Options For The European Union

Ispra sold Tear Gas canisters since its foundation to countries as France, Switzerland, UK and the US and  CS-tear gas to federal police units in the US and Canada.[4]National Library of Israel : Archive, Koteret Rashit, 17.06.1987 Shooting and Crying, the story of the Israeli gas canister [5]Crowd Control Technologies : An Assessment Of Crowd Control Technology Options For The European Union According to an interview with the head of SIBAT in 1987 the annual profit of ISPRA that year from export stood on $2m and Ispra exported to countries in East-Asia, without exposing which countries.[6]National Library of Israel : Archive, Koteret Rashit, 17.06.1987 Shooting and Crying, the story of the Israeli gas canister

ISPRA canisters were reported to be used in Azerbaijan in 2013[7]Omega Research Foundation : The Deployment of Lawenforcement Equipment in Central Asia and the South Caucasus [8]Brutal Police Crackdowns In Azerbaijan, Courtesy Of Western-Made Weapons, and the Omega Research Foundation identified canisters used against anti-graft protesters in Kenya in 2016.[9]Twitter : Police beat Kenyan anti-graft protesters, fire tear gas with grenades from Ispra Israel[10]War profiteer of the month: ISPRA As to SIPRI, Kazakh companies are official partners of ISPRA.[11]Omega Research Foundation : The Deployment of Lawenforcement Equipment in Central Asia and the South Caucasus

Ispra exhibited its products in many arms fairs. Already in 1993 Ispra exhibited in Milipol in Paris.[12]Riot Control Agents : The Case for Regulation Between 2011 and 2019 Ispra exhibited at the Milipol arms fair every year. Ispra exhibited at ADEX 2014 in Azerbaijan[13]16 Israeli Companies to Attend Defense Exhibition in Azerbaijan and promoted its Cyclone Anti-Riot Drone System at ADEX 2018[14]ADEX 2018: Ispra promotes Cyclone Riot Control Drone System. They also exhibited in the KADEX 2014 in Kazakhstan.[15]Omega Research Foundation : The Deployment of Lawenforcement Equipment in Central Asia and the South Caucasus

Cyclone Riot System

The Cyclone is a weaponized and unmanned anti-riot helicopter with a tear-gas-dropping device that combines 12 aluminum cartridges and submunitions. This system was unveiled at the milipol arms and security exhibition in Paris in 2015 and was used for the first time during the Gaza protests in 2018.[16]Tariq, Dana (2020): A Cruel Innovation: Israeli Experiments on Gaza’s Great March of Return. In: 2020, Sociology of Islam. ISPRA promoted the Cyclone at ADEX 2018 in Azerbaijan.[17]ADEX 2018: Ispra promotes Cyclone Riot Control Drone System

The Cyclone system is installed on drones to deploy tear gas on protesters. According to the company’s marketing information, the Cyclone allows police “to react against rioters and demonstrators at an early stage of the event, at a distance while avoiding direct confrontation with rioters.”[18]Ispra official website RIOT CONTROL DRONE SYSTEM Videos on the company’s website shows a drone being loaded with tear gas canisters and flown over a target ground, before dropping a number of tear gas canisters.[19]Youtube : Video by ISPRA – Riot Control Drone – Cyclone The company describes the weapon as accurate with a long range, and easy to reload.

Thunderstorm Tear Gas launcher

In 2015 ISPRA launched the Thunderstorm multi barrel launcher. The weapon is fitted to the top of a truck and allows the user to rapidly fire multiple rounds of tear gas up to 210m. ISPRA advertises the Thunderstorm as also being able to fire CS smoke grenades, and stun grenades.[20]War profiteer of the month: ISPRA It was promoted at MILIPOL arms fair in Paris in 2015.

Acquisitions/Subsidiaries/Fundings

Ispra write on their website that since 2019 they are part of Taavura group, a leading, privately held concern in Israel.[21]Ispra ltd official website : Company Profile

Owner listed as to 2018 is Dr. Amnon Jacobson[22]Sibat : Ispra Israel Product Research Co Ltd, who is also signed on patents in name of Ispra ltd[23]Patents by Inventor Amnon Jacobson. As to WhoProfits, Ispra is jointly owned by Anat Bealy Golan and Michal Bar Hava Menahma.[24]Who Profits – Ispra – Israel Product Research – Company Report

Today the company Yesh On Ltd is also owned by Ispra.[25]Yesh On Company Profile [26]Israel Government 2019 Patents Journal  Yaakov Bialy, that as to 2018 was the general director of Ispra[27]Sibat : Ispra Israel Product Research Co Ltd, is also listed as stockholder of Yesh On ltd and is also listed in the patent’s directory as inventor of ”Versatile grenade launcher” (1990) and “Semi automatic device for applying tear gas” (1990) for Ispra.[28]Patents by Inventor Jacob Bialy

Usage by Israeli Forces

As to ISPRA’s website, “Ispra is the preferred supplier by the Israeli military and police forces and prisons authorities”.[29]Ispra ltd official website : Company Profile

First official indication is noted to 1984, when Sibat, The International Defense Cooperation Directorate of the Israel Ministry of Defense, officially declared that Ispra.[30]National Library of Israel : Archive, Koteret Rashit, 17.06.1987 Shooting and Crying, the story of the Israeli gas canister

In 2021, The Israel Police announced the intention to enter a tender exemption from the purchase of CS gas ammunition [tear gas] for dumping drones. This is a contract in the amount of NIS 1 million for a period of three years, with Yesh Ann Engineering and Technology (Ispra) Ltd.[31]Israel Police announced contract award for Gas Canister Ammo for dropping from drones Yaron Karila Head of Weaponry Engineering and Planning Department of the Israel Police said in that matter: “Ispra is the only company that has developed a gas cartridge adapted to the existing system in the police, which enables the imposition of hovering gas ammunition, and is the only supplier (manufacturer) for this matter.”[32]Israel Police announced contract award for Gas Canister Ammo for dropping from drones

Foreign Policy magazine described the use of the Cyclone or a similar system in March 2018 as perhaps “the first-ever nation observed using armed consumer drones in a real-world setting.” FP referenced a video shot by the Israeli news network Haaretz which showed a drone dropping tear gas canisters on protesters in Gaza before flying away.[33]War profiteer of the month: ISPRA According to the research organization “Who Profits”, on 30 March 2018, identical technology was used against protesters in Gaza taking part in the “Great March of Return”.[34]Who Profits – Ispra – Israel Product Research – Company Report In the same protests an Al Jazeera Crew got hit.[35]Al Jazeera English, Twitter : An Al Jazeera TV crew took a direct hit from an Israeli drone Identical technology was also used on Palestinians during protest near the village Beita in 2021[36]Reality of a West Bank Outpost: Four Dead Palestinians and a Drone Spraying Tear Gas [37]Oren Ziv, Twitter : Watch: Israeli forces use a drone to fire tear gas at Palestinian protesters during a demo today against a new settlement in the village of Beita and on Palestinian Bedouins in the Negev desert during protests in 2022.[38]Documentation from Bedouin Demonstration : Police used drone to drop gas canister on protesters

Comparison of visual evidence from the usage by the Israeli Army and Police shows that with high probability the system that was used on the drones is Ispra’s Cyclone.[39]Israeli Drone used in Gaza : Seems to be DJI Matrice 600 frame with ISPRA Cyclone gas containers dispenser.

 

For more information on ISPRA at WhoProfits see here.

References
1 Who Profits – Ispra – Israel Product Research – Company Report
2 Israel Defense : ISPRA Israel Product Research Information
3 Crowd Control Technologies : An Assessment Of Crowd Control Technology Options For The European Union
4 National Library of Israel : Archive, Koteret Rashit, 17.06.1987 Shooting and Crying, the story of the Israeli gas canister
5 Crowd Control Technologies : An Assessment Of Crowd Control Technology Options For The European Union
6 National Library of Israel : Archive, Koteret Rashit, 17.06.1987 Shooting and Crying, the story of the Israeli gas canister
7 Omega Research Foundation : The Deployment of Lawenforcement Equipment in Central Asia and the South Caucasus
8 Brutal Police Crackdowns In Azerbaijan, Courtesy Of Western-Made Weapons
9 Twitter : Police beat Kenyan anti-graft protesters, fire tear gas with grenades from Ispra Israel
10 War profiteer of the month: ISPRA
11 Omega Research Foundation : The Deployment of Lawenforcement Equipment in Central Asia and the South Caucasus
12 Riot Control Agents : The Case for Regulation
13 16 Israeli Companies to Attend Defense Exhibition in Azerbaijan
14 ADEX 2018: Ispra promotes Cyclone Riot Control Drone System
15 Omega Research Foundation : The Deployment of Lawenforcement Equipment in Central Asia and the South Caucasus
16 Tariq, Dana (2020): A Cruel Innovation: Israeli Experiments on Gaza’s Great March of Return. In: 2020, Sociology of Islam.
17 ADEX 2018: Ispra promotes Cyclone Riot Control Drone System
18 Ispra official website RIOT CONTROL DRONE SYSTEM
19 Youtube : Video by ISPRA – Riot Control Drone – Cyclone
20 War profiteer of the month: ISPRA
21 Ispra ltd official website : Company Profile
22 Sibat : Ispra Israel Product Research Co Ltd
23 Patents by Inventor Amnon Jacobson
24 Who Profits – Ispra – Israel Product Research – Company Report
25 Yesh On Company Profile
26 Israel Government 2019 Patents Journal
27 Sibat : Ispra Israel Product Research Co Ltd
28 Patents by Inventor Jacob Bialy
29 Ispra ltd official website : Company Profile
30 National Library of Israel : Archive, Koteret Rashit, 17.06.1987 Shooting and Crying, the story of the Israeli gas canister
31 Israel Police announced contract award for Gas Canister Ammo for dropping from drones
32 Israel Police announced contract award for Gas Canister Ammo for dropping from drones
33 War profiteer of the month: ISPRA
34 Who Profits – Ispra – Israel Product Research – Company Report
35 Al Jazeera English, Twitter : An Al Jazeera TV crew took a direct hit from an Israeli drone
36 Reality of a West Bank Outpost: Four Dead Palestinians and a Drone Spraying Tear Gas
37 Oren Ziv, Twitter : Watch: Israeli forces use a drone to fire tear gas at Palestinian protesters during a demo today against a new settlement in the village of Beita
38 Documentation from Bedouin Demonstration : Police used drone to drop gas canister on protesters
39 Israeli Drone used in Gaza : Seems to be DJI Matrice 600 frame with ISPRA Cyclone gas containers dispenser.