What we know about claims that Woodward parts are being used in Israel-Hamas war

Fort Collins-based Woodward, Inc., which manufactures control and combustion systems for the energy and aerospace industries, is facing protests amid social media posts linking the company to components allegedly used in missiles that have killed thousands of Palestinians living in the Gaza strip.

The company serves the commercial and military aerospace markets, with its main focus on propulsion system controls for turbine-powered aircraft actuation systems and motion control.

Simply put, an actuator is the component in a machine that enables movement by converting energy into mechanical force. They are used in commercial and military airplanes, helicopters, ships and missiles.

Prime contractors "look to Woodward for control and actuation solutions on air superiority and air defense missiles, direct attack missiles, guided bombs and rockets, anti-ship missiles, guided artillery and mortar rounds, hypervelocity vehicles, training and target missiles, and launch boosters," according to the company's website.

Woodward has removed much of its social media presence but has allowed some public criticism on its Facebook page. It has declined comment on social media posts accusing it of genocide.

A photo of an alleged missile fragment bearing Woodward's name and logo that was reportedly taken in Gaza has been widely circulated on social media. The photo's authenticity or origin has not been independently verified, and Woodward declined to comment on the photo, verify it was their part, or say what is and what it does.

In a statement to the Coloradoan, a Woodward spokesperson said "a small portion of our business involves indirectly supplying the U.S. government with subsystems that go into military equipment. While we are not involved in policy decisions regarding the use of defense equipment containing our products, we remain committed to serving all of our customers."

The spokesperson said "it has been devastating to see the tragic acts of terror on Israel, as well as the humanitarian impact in Gaza, and our hearts go out to all who are being affected by the conflict."

As of this week, more than 10,000 Palestinians, including 4,100 children and 2,640 women, have been killed in the war, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Another 2,260 people are missing and presumed trapped under rubble.

More than 1,400 Israelis have died, including 340 soldiers, the vast majority in Hamas' Oct. 7 incursion into Israel, the latest in a complex, bitter conflict that reaches back to World War I.

Sources told the Coloradoan the company has stepped up security measures at its corporate headquarters at the corner of Lincoln and Lemay, but the company declined to comment.

Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen said Thursday there have been no specific threats in Northern Colorado related to the Israel-Hamas war.

"We're hearing about the protests and demonstrations as well, which is fantastic if people want to do that as long as it stays peaceful," Feyen said.

Feyen said he reached out to houses of worship and schools when the war began to gauge any threats. "Thankfully, I'm not hearing much that concerns me," he said.

Woodward's Northern Colorado facilities are within Fort Collins, Windsor and Loveland's jurisdictions, but law enforcement works together on a regional threat assessment group.

Fort Collins Police Chief Jeff Swoboda said he and others in the department have been in touch with Woodward officials and its security team and "given them our recommendations. They have been super receptive."

The department's intelligence team also monitors social media posts "to see what's happening," including evaluating if there are threats or just people sharing their opinions, Swoboda said. Officers will be monitoring an upcoming demonstration, he said, as is standard practice. "We are always keeping a close eye anytime events are scheduled where it could affect a company or traffic flow," he said. "We don't care what people are protesting or supporting as long as they can do it in a safe manner."

FoCoStandup is organizing a protest from 3-5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10, at Woodward. The group is calling it a "Die in at Woodward, a peaceful demonstration in solidarity with Palestine" and has asked participants to wear a mask and bring a keffiyeh, a black and white headdress worn by Palestinian men that became a symbol of Palestinian nationalism during the Arab Revolt of the 1930s.

A similar protest held last week drew about 60 people, Swoboda estimated.

Fort Collins resident Eric Fried participated in that event and plans to be at Friday's rally.

"I would like to see Woodward stop manufacturing critical parts for missiles used against civilian populations," Fried said. "Sometimes it's worth pointing out to your neighbors what's going on in their community."

Woodward has a choice, and has chosen to make components that can be used in military equipment, he said.

Ali Owens, who also plans to attend the rally, said "the die-in is an important step toward holding power accountable and raising awareness about our complicity, on a national as well as local level, in the genocide occurring in Palestine.

"It’s so easy to assume we’re not directly connected to everything that’s happening over there, which makes people complacent. This protest, for me, helps draw attention to the connections and to the larger picture of the United States’ history of settler colonial violence."

Other similar protests and "die-ins" have been held throughout the country, including at Woodward's plants in California and Illinois and at defense contractor Raytheon's facility in Tucson, Arizona, where a coalition representing "progressive Jewish anti-Zionist" and pro-Palestine organizations blocked the site's entrance.

Woodward's facilities throughout the country have been awarded a number of contracts through the Department of Defense in the past decade, including at the Fort Collins plant, according to the Department of Defense's website.

None are for the production or manufacturing for anything other than components or repairs to components or systems that go into Navy ships, military helicopters and aircraft. Much of the company's defense work is spread among its Santa Clarita, California; Illinois; and Fort Collins plants.

Here are the two contracts awarded by the U.S. Department of Defense to Woodward Fort Collins' for the past decade:

• February 2023: $10.77 million for next generation ship service gas turbine generator digital control cabinets.

• September 2019: $10.5 million for interface equipment for the Rolls-Royce 501-K34 and 501-K17 ship service gas turbine generator. The equipment was manufactured in Fort Collins. The work is expected to be completed next September.

The Arizona Republic and USA Today contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Some say Woodward parts were used in Israel-Hamas war: What we know