It’s one of the perils of the arms trade which humiliates governments and outrages anti-war activists. A political nightmare, and potential humanitarian one, where a country sells weapons to an ally - later to find those same arms being used against it after the two countries fall out.

Despite the risks, the arms trade is a key part of many leading countries’ economies. The profits are huge, the stakes high. But the dangers of something going wrong are even bigger.

The biggest players are the USA, the UK, Russia and France, but smaller countries like Israel are also heavily involved. Retired Israeli General, Yossi Peled, believes it’s vital for his country.

“It’s part of the Israeli economy,” he says. “Unfortunately because we have such experience on the battlefield which means a lot - …