Drone firm, which sold equipment to the IDF, forced to leave NYC
The American drone firm Easy Aerial, which has supplied U.S. agencies and sold equipment to the Israeli army, was forced to vacate its site about six weeks after Zohran Mamdani took office
The American drone manufacturer Easy Aerial has been required to vacate its premises at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, a New York City–owned industrial site, following a decision not to renew its lease.
The development was first reported by the New York Post and comes roughly six weeks after Zohran Mamdani assumed office as mayor.
Easy Aerial supplies drones to several U.S. security agencies, including the U.S. Air Force, and its technology has been deployed for surveillance along the U.S.–Mexico border as well as for security operations at major events such as the Super Bowl. The company has also previously sold drone equipment to the Israeli military.
In recent months, the firm became the focus of protests held outside the Brooklyn Navy Yard by the Demilitarize Brooklyn Navy Yard collective, which has called for the removal of companies with ties to Israel from the publicly owned site. Brooklyn City Council member Lincoln Restler welcomed the decision, arguing that public property “should not be used as a base for companies manufacturing drones used as weapons.”
The move has drawn criticism from New York State Assemblyman Kalman Yeger, who described the lease nonrenewal as politically driven. He said that undermining local jobs for ideological reasons was not a sound economic strategy, characterizing the decision as discriminatory.
Responding to the controversy, Claire Holmes, a spokesperson for the development corporation that manages the Brooklyn Navy Yard, rejected claims of political or ideological motivation. She stated that the decision was based solely on standard commercial considerations, explaining that lease renewals are evaluated according to compliance with contractual terms and internal policies.