Oscillators and crystals produced by Somerset-based Golledge Electronics have been built into Russian radars and missile systems.
The UK, as a member of the European Union, introduced a prohibition on the export of so-called “dual-use” goods for military purposes as part of a 2014 sanctions package against Moscow after the illegal annexation of Crimea. The drone’s flight control system is based on technology from Swiss firm STMicroelectronics, with the engine supplied by Japanese company Saito Seisakusho.
The British components were designed and produced by Golledge Electronics, a supplier to the electronics industry based in Ilminster. The company exports its products to over 50 countries. The report adds that the Kremlin’s “special services are now working to build new routes to secure access to Western microelectronics”.