Lobbyists for international arms manufacturers offered to introduce Irish businesses to a defence conglomerate accused of using an Israeli middleman to evade sanctions on Azerbaijan.
The Irish Defence and Security Association (IDSA) told its members that CSG Aerospace – part of Czechoslovak Group – wanted to “open operations in Ireland”.
Czechoslovak Group has sold self-propelled artillery and rocket launchers to Azerbaijan in violation of US and EU sanctions, according to the Czech Center for Investigative Journalism.
‘Establish our presence and find the right people’
The Irish Defence and Security Association’s then operations manager wrote to members of the lobby group in November 2023.
The mail, obtained by The Ditch, said CSG Aerospace was “seeking partners, investors, agents etc to open operations in Ireland” after a conference at Ireland's Czech embassy.
CSG Aerospace wanted to “establish our presence and find the right people, agents and companies that could help us to represent and commercialise our products as well as to develop them”.
The company said it was “very keen and open to new possibilities in research, development, and technological innovation”.
IDSA also told its members CSG Aerospace was “looking in all directions, joint ventures, cooperation, investments, acquisitions, start-ups... private sector, government sector, universities”.
The operations manager told members to contact IDSA if they were interested in partnering with the Czech company.
CSG Aerospace belongs to Czechoslovak Group's aviation division, which produces radar systems and air traffic control technology. Defence manufacturing is a primary business for the parent company.
A CSG Czech subsidiary sold chassis to Elbit, which added communication systems before the chassis were flown to CSG's Slovakian subsidiary MSM Martin. MSM Martin fitted them with artillery and rocket launchers and returned the completed weapons to Elbit, which delivered them to Azerbaijan.
Slovakian authorities investigated MSM Martin – the CSG subsidiary that fitted the weapons systems in the sanctions-evading scheme – for bribery and money laundering, according to CSG's 2024 annual report.
IDSA, which holds quarterly meetings with Department of Defence officials, represents Lockheed Martin, Saab and other weapons manufacturers.
IDSA has been contacted for comment.
