Hala Systems
US technology company that built early-warning systems for air strikes in Syria; CSSF contractor
| Hala Systems | |
|---|---|
| Trade name | |
| Logo | |
| Type | |
| Founded | |
| Founder(s) | |
| Defunct | |
| Headquarters | |
| Industry | |
| Services | |
| Parent | |
| Subsidiaries | |
| Revenue | |
| Number of employees | |
| Homepage | |
Hala Systems is a contractor to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) under the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF). It is not among the named suppliers on Lots 1 and 3 of the CSSF Framework Agreement 2023–27; the 37 Lot 2 suppliers were "redacted on National Security grounds".[1] Contracts Finder lists 1 published CSSF award(s) to the organisation with a combined stated value of £1,400,000. FCO and FCDO payments to it over £25,000 recorded in published departmental spending data total about £2,397,445; these figures cover all FCO/FCDO (and, after September 2020, former Department for International Development) programmes and are not limited to the CSSF.[2]
Overview
Hala Systems is a US company whose "Sentry" system warns civilians in Syria of air strikes; The Washington Post reported that it was financed by Western governments and private donations.[3][4]
Wired reported in 2018 that Hala was founded in late 2015 by John Jaeger, a former technologist who had worked in Istanbul for the US State Department supporting opposition-area governance and Syrian independent media from 2012; entrepreneur Dave Levin; and a Syrian coder using the alias "Murad". At the time Hala relied on grants from the UK, Danish, Dutch, US and Canadian governments, plus private investment. Jaeger claimed Hala held "the most complete picture of the air war in Syria outside of the classified environment". He said it might seek other markets such as border security, and the magazine raised concerns about possible misuse of the technology.[5]
CSSF/ISF and other UK government work
A UK government announcement described new UK support, through the CSSF, for an early-warning system protecting civilians from air strikes in north-west Syria.[6]
The August 2018 announcement by Middle East minister Alistair Burt said that UK support had helped warn "more than 2 million people" and that the system was "estimated to have reduced casualties by up to 27%". Its notes to editors confirmed that support came "through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund".[6]
The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) reviewed the CSSF's aid spending in March 2018 and gave it an amber-red score, finding the fund responsive to National Security Council priorities but with weak results management and inadequate evidence of outcomes and value for money.[7] ICAI published a follow-up review in 2019.[8]
Published CSSF contracts
| Award date | Contract | Value (£) | Supplier name as published | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-12-02 | CSSF Syria: Technology for Civilian Protection in Syria | 1,400,000 | Hala Systems Inc | [9] |
FCO/FCDO payments
| Year | Amount (£) |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 149,963 |
| 2020 | 946,086 |
| 2021 | 820,869 |
| 2022 | 480,526 |
| Total | 2,397,445 |
See also
Notes
- ↑ Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) Framework Agreement (2023-2027): contract award notice 029743-2023 Find a Tender Service, 2023.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Foreign and Commonwealth Office, FCO departmental spending over £25,000 GOV.UK, 2010–2020; Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, FCDO: departmental spending over £25,000 GOV.UK, 2020–2026.
- ↑ The Washington Post, Syrian civilians alerted to airstrikes by volunteer spotters with secret smartphone app The Washington Post, 17 August 2018.
- ↑ Reuters, Air strike warning app helps Syrians dodge death from the skies Reuters, 2018 (accessed 16 October 2026).
- ↑ Wired, Saving Lives With Tech Amid Syria’s Endless Civil War Wired, 16 August 2018.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 GOV.UK, New UK help to protect millions at risk from deadly airstrikes in North West Syria GOV.UK, accessed 16 October 2026.
- ↑ Independent Commission for Aid Impact, The Conflict, Stability and Security Fund's aid spending ICAI, March 2018.
- ↑ Independent Commission for Aid Impact, ICAI follow-up of: The Conflict, Stability and Security Fund's aid spending ICAI, 2019.
- ↑ Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, CSSF Syria: Technology for Civilian Protection in Syria Contracts Finder, 2022-12-02.