DoomsdaysCW<p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Blackwater" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Blackwater</span></a> founder and 4 others on trial in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Austria" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Austria</span></a> over export of modified crop-spraying planes</p><p>By The Associated Press<br>November 16, 2023 </p><p>BERLIN — "Five people including the founder of the Blackwater security firm went on trial in Austria on Thursday, accused of exporting two <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/cropspraying" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>cropspraying</span></a> aircraft that were allegedly refitted for <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/military" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>military</span></a> purposes without required permits.</p><p>"The trial in Wiener Neustadt, south of Vienna, stems from an investigation into a local company, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AirborneTechnologies" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AirborneTechnologies</span></a> GmbH, which fits out aircraft with sensors and other equipment.</p><p>"Prosecutors say that two Ayres Thrush agricultural aircraft were equipped with armor, extra tanks and a special camera that could be used for marking and illuminating targets. They say one was sent to <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Malta" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Malta</span></a> in 2014 with <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Kenya" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Kenya</span></a> as its declared destination and landed in troubled <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SouthSudan" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SouthSudan</span></a>, while the other was sent to <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Bulgaria" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Bulgaria</span></a> in 2015.</p><p>"The defendants are accused of violating Austria's law on war material by exporting such equipment without permission. One of the defendants, an Australian pilot, is accused of flying the two planes across Austria's borders, while the four other defendants allegedly participated in the deal. They are Blackwater founder Erik Prince, two managers at Airborne Technologies and a trained pilot who allegedly was an adviser.</p><p>"All pleaded not guilty as the trial started, the Austria Press Agency reported.</p><p>"The next court session is scheduled for Dec. 14 [2023]."</p><p><a href="https://www.newsday.com/news/nation/austria-aircraft-export-trial-prince-blackwater-w27391" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">newsday.com/news/nation/austri</span><span class="invisible">a-aircraft-export-trial-prince-blackwater-w27391</span></a></p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ErikPrince" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ErikPrince</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CropDuster" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>CropDuster</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CropDusters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>CropDusters</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WeaponizedCropDusters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WeaponizedCropDusters</span></a></p>