Repkon USA, the US subsidiary of Turkish defense contractor REPKON, said Tuesday it has changed its name to Paligen Technologies, days after it was identified by the US government as the principal contractor in an emergency $151.8 million sale of 12,000 BLU-110A/B 1,000-pound bomb bodies to Israel.
The company, announcing the rebrand, said the new name was meant to create a “distinct and independent market identity” and eliminate confusion about its affiliations.
The State Department said on March 7 that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had waived the usual congressional review process on national security grounds. The notice listed Repkon USA in Garland, Texas, as the principal contractor and said part of the order would come from existing US military stockpiles, with the rest supplied through production and procurement.
The disclosure triggered criticism in Turkey because President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has long presented himself as a defender of Palestinians and one of Israel’s fiercest critics over Gaza. Middle East Eye reported that the company’s name change came after public backlash over its role in US ammunition sales to Israel, while REPKON had already argued in a separate statement that media coverage of the deal reflected a coordinated campaign targeting the company.
This was not the first Israel sale to name Repkon USA. In a separate emergency notification dated February 28, 2025, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Israel had been cleared to buy $675.7 million in munitions and support, including 201 MK 83 1000-pound bomb bodies, 4,799 BLU-110A/B bomb bodies and 5,000 Joint Direct Attack Munition guidance kits, with Repkon USA and Boeing listed as principal contractors.
Repkon USA has expanded quickly in the United States. In April 2025 it announced the acquisition of General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems’ Garland operations in Texas, a facility that manufactures metal parts for defense and aerospace uses. On its website before the rebrand, the company also said it provides MK-80 series bomb bodies to the US military and allied nations.
The latest controversy adds to scrutiny of Turkey’s economic links to Israel. Reuters reported in January that Israeli imports of Azerbaijani crude shipped from Turkey’s Ceyhan port rose to a three-year high in 2025 despite Ankara’s 2024 trade ban, feeding criticism that Erdoğan’s rhetoric has not matched Turkey’s commercial ties.