It was, perhaps, Eaton’s "environmentally sustainable" solutions for land-, sea- and air-based "weapons systems," that impressed the Ethisphere Institute. In 2011, it declared Eaton to be one of the "World’s Most Ethical Companies." Ethisphere claims to honour firms that "truly go beyond making statements about doing business ‘ethically’ and translate those words into action." Eaton’s products certainly see lots of action, military action.

With sales of US$13.7 billion in 2010, this US manufacturer is one of the world’s leading power-management companies. Eaton makes motors, as well as pneumatic and hydraulic systems for aircraft, land vehicles and industrial equipment. The company is proud to report that its aerospace products, including fuel, motion-control, cockpit-interface and propulsion systems, are used in "hundreds of military and commercial aircraft."

Eaton landed US$1.16 billion in US federal government contracts between 2000 and 2009. Of these, US$1 billion (88%) were with military departments and agencies.

There are at least four kinds of major US weapons systems using Eaton components that have been sold to Israel, namely, F-15 and F-16 fighter/bombers, as well as AH-64 and UH-60 attack helicopters. Israel’s use of these aircraft includes the bombing of Lebanon (2006) and Gaza (2008-2009).

Data obtained by COAT from the "Government Contracts USA Defense Department" database, show that between 1999 and 2009, Eaton and subsidiaries received 130 contracts worth US$17.9 million to supply hardware for the first three of these weapons systems.

For instance, Eaton’s F-15 contracts, worth US$4.3 million, included weapon system hardware, valves, motors, wheel and brake systems, instruments, engines parts, and fuel systems.

Eaton’s contracts for F-16s, worth US$8.2 million, included weapon system hardware, landing gear parts, valves, tubes, pumps, batteries, motors and power transmission equipment.

Eaton had US$5.4 million in contracts for AH-64s, including switches, valves, fittings, circuit breakers, wheel and brake systems, ground-servicing equipment, airframe structures and fuel systems.

Eaton says it is "a key supplier of hydraulic systems, fuel systems, fluid conveyance, electromechanical actuation, power and load management and avionics products on the UH-60." The US has transferred UH-60s to Israel’s Air Force.

Eaton is also a "key systems supplier" for the F-35 "Joint Strike Fighter" which Israel has on order from Lockheed Martin (LM). (See LM in table "CPP Investments.") Eaton makes 40 hydraulic, fuel, actuation and control systems for the F-35, and says these contracts total US$358 million per year.

Eaton’s website lists an Israeli firm called STG International Ltd. as its "sales rep organization" and "international distributor" in Israel. The STG website says it has been "Proudly serving Hi-Tech and Defense Industries in Israel since 1965."

Eaton also makes motors and hydraulic steering systems used by an Israeli military company called Zoko Enterprises. This firm "specialises in the development, production, assembly and marketing of armoured vehicles, armoured earth moving machines, [and] robotic systems." Zoko has been the exclusive representative in Israel for Caterpillar Inc. and International Trucks (a subsidiary of Navistar), since 1948 and 1987, respectively. (See Navistar in table "CPP Investments.")

Zoko’s promotional materials say that it "has gained many years of experience in maintaining vehicles and earth moving machines for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF)." The company also proudly works "with the leading Israeli military industrial [sic], accomplishing various projects for the IDF."

Zoko’s website reveals that it uses "Eaton hydraulic steering systems, designed for agricultural tractors, earth moving machines and trucks." It also uses "vane motors of the 25M, 35M, 45M and 50M models from Eaton Vickers," an Eaton subsidiary. These Eaton vane motors, says Zoko, "are designed for earth moving, agricultural and infrastructure tasks."

An online database called "Who Profits from the Occupation," notes that Zoko "[i]mports and markets heavy mechanical equipment" and that it represents Eaton in Israel.