V-DIG Audit — Caterpillar Inc

Audit Phase: V-DIG (Verified Digital Influence Grid) Subject Entity: Caterpillar Inc. Audit Date: 2026 Classification: Public

Enterprise Technology Stack & Vendor Relationships

Israeli-Origin Software & Services

No public evidence identified that Caterpillar holds licensing, subscription, or integration relationships with Check Point, Wiz, SentinelOne, CyberArk, Nice, Verint, Claroty, or Palo Alto Networks. Source classes checked include Caterpillar 10-K/20-F SEC filings, Caterpillar proxy statements, Caterpillar sustainability and technology disclosures, trade press, defense directories, and general web searches.

Scale of Dependency

Not applicable — no Israeli-origin technology vendor relationships confirmed.

Procurement & Integrator Relationships

No public evidence identified that Caterpillar engages systems integrators, digital transformation consultancies, or IT outsourcing partners that have mandated or deployed Israeli-origin technology as part of major Caterpillar technology programmes. Source classes checked include Caterpillar SEC filings, annual reports, procurement disclosures, and trade press.

Surveillance, Biometrics & Retail Technology

Facial Recognition & Biometrics

No public evidence identified that Caterpillar uses facial recognition, biometric identification, behavioural analytics, or gait analysis technologies of Israeli origin. Source classes checked include Caterpillar technology disclosures, annual reports, SEC filings, and general web searches.

Predictive Analytics & Monitoring

No public evidence identified that Caterpillar uses Israeli-origin predictive policing, sentiment analysis, social media monitoring, or workforce surveillance tools. Source classes checked include Caterpillar technology disclosures, annual reports, and general web searches.

Third-Party Deployment

No public evidence identified that the above technologies reach Caterpillar indirectly via third-party platform providers, managed security services, or bundled enterprise suites. Source classes checked include Caterpillar SEC filings, annual reports, and general web searches.

Cloud Infrastructure, Data Residency & Sovereign Cloud Participation

Data Centre Operations in Israel

No Caterpillar-owned subsidiary, R&D facility, or data centre is confirmed in Israel. Caterpillar’s global locations page lists no Israel facility; the company operates in Israel exclusively through its independent dealer network ¹.

Government Cloud Contracts

No public evidence identified that Caterpillar participates in Project Nimbus or comparable state-backed digital infrastructure programmes. Project Nimbus is a $1.2 billion cloud infrastructure contract between the Israeli government and Google and Amazon Web Services; Caterpillar is not named in available Project Nimbus documentation ².

Data Sovereignty & Resilience Services

No public evidence identified that Caterpillar provides services explicitly marketed or contracted to ensure digital sovereignty, data residency, or infrastructure resilience for Israeli state institutions or military bodies. Source classes checked include Caterpillar SEC filings, annual reports, government procurement records, and general web searches.

Defence, Intelligence & Security Sector Technology Relationships

Military & Intelligence Contracts

Caterpillar has not entered direct contracts with the Israeli Ministry of Defence or Israel Defence Forces. Caterpillar sells equipment through independent dealers globally; the ultimate end-use of equipment is beyond Caterpillar’s direct control. Caterpillar’s 10-K/20-F filings describe this dealer-distribution model ³.

A $295 million U.S. Foreign Military Sale to Israel was approved by the U.S. Department of Defense in March 2025, covering Caterpillar D9R and D9T bulldozers and spare parts, through U.S. DoD channels. This is a U.S. government-to-government sale, not a direct Caterpillar-to-IMOD contract ⁴.

Caterpillar D9 bulldozers have been supplied to the Israeli military for decades through U.S. FMS programmes and through the dealer network. Equipment has been documented in use by IDF forces in the occupied Palestinian territory, including during the 2023–2025 Gaza military offensive ⁵.

Dual-Use Technology Provision

Caterpillar D9 bulldozers are commercial-grade heavy equipment that have been documented in military and civil infrastructure applications in occupied territories, including: demolition of civilian infrastructure in Gaza (2023–2025), construction of the Israeli Separation Wall in the West Bank, and house demolitions in East Jerusalem and the West Bank ⁵.

Caterpillar’s telematics systems (Product Link, VisionLink) are documented globally for fleet management and equipment tracking. No public evidence identified that these systems are specifically deployed on equipment used by Israeli military or government bodies, or that telemetry data from Israeli operations is routed through Israeli jurisdiction. Source classes checked include Caterpillar technology disclosures, IMOD procurement records, and general web searches.

Offensive Cyber & Weapons Technology

No public evidence identified that Caterpillar develops, sells, licenses, or maintains offensive cyber capabilities, zero-day exploit tools, or digital weapons systems. Source classes checked include Caterpillar SEC filings, annual reports, defense industry directories, and general web searches.

AI, Algorithmic & Autonomous Systems

AI/ML Provision to State Bodies

No public evidence identified that Caterpillar provides artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision, or autonomous decision-support systems to Israeli state, military, or security bodies. Source classes checked include Caterpillar technology disclosures, SEC filings, and general web searches.

Training Data & Model Development

No public evidence identified that Caterpillar’s AI models or platforms have been trained on, or provided access to, civilian population data, intercepted communications, or surveillance-derived datasets originating from Israel or occupied territories. Source classes checked include Caterpillar technology disclosures, SEC filings, and general web searches.

Autonomous Systems & Lethality

Caterpillar manufactures autonomous-capable mining equipment (e.g., autonomous haul trucks) for commercial mining applications. No public evidence identified that Caterpillar autonomous systems have been provided to Israeli military or security forces, or that Caterpillar has developed autonomous target generation, automated threat detection, or autonomous tracking systems for military use. Source classes checked include Caterpillar technology disclosures, defense industry sources, and general web searches.

Israel Aerospace Industries has developed the “Robdozer” — a remote-controlled version of the Caterpillar D9 bulldozer — for IDF use. This is an Israeli government and IAI development that modifies commercially purchased Caterpillar equipment; it does not represent a Caterpillar-to-IDF direct relationship ⁶.

Technology Ecosystem & R&D Footprint

Israeli R&D Centres

No Caterpillar R&D facilities, engineering offices, innovation labs, or accelerator programmes are confirmed in Israel. Caterpillar’s global footprint page lists no Israel facility ¹.

Acquisitions & Investments

No public evidence identified of Caterpillar acquiring Israeli-origin technology companies, or making strategic investments in Israeli technology startups or venture funds. Source classes checked include Caterpillar SEC filings (M&A disclosures), press releases, and general web searches.

Patent & Intellectual Property

No public evidence identified of significant patent portfolios, licensing agreements, or co-development arrangements between Caterpillar and Israeli-domiciled entities or research institutions such as Technion, Hebrew University, or Weizmann Institute. Source classes checked include Caterpillar patent disclosures, Israeli Companies Registrar filings, and general web searches.

Civil Society Scrutiny & Regulatory History

NGO & Academic Reports

Caterpillar appears in the UN OHCHR database of business enterprises involved in Israeli settlement activity (HRC res. 31/36 and 53/25 iteration, approximately 2023). Caterpillar is listed in the Don’t Buy Into Occupation IV report (November 2024) as one of 58 companies with activities matching UN database “listed activities that raise particular human rights concerns” ^{7 8}.

AFSC Investigate maintains a Caterpillar company profile documenting D9 bulldozer use in Gaza (2023–2025), including: D9s leading IDF ground invasion forces, destruction of civilian neighbourhoods, creation of “buffer zones” and “corridors,” destruction of Rafah city, and documented incidents of bulldozers running over civilians in tent camps ⁵.

Who Profits maintains company profiles for Caterpillar, Israel Tractors & Equipment, and Zoko Enterprises documenting Caterpillar’s dealer network role in Israel and equipment use in settlement activity ^{9 10}.

Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global Ethics Council conducted a formal review of Caterpillar and found “no doubt” that Caterpillar products have been used for “extensive and systematic violations of international humanitarian law.” The Council stated Caterpillar “has not implemented any measures to prevent such use” and recommended exclusion. The recommendation was issued July 2025; the fund excluded Caterpillar August 2025, holding a 1.23% stake valued at $2.1 billion at time of exclusion ^{11 12}.

Boycott & Divestment Campaigns

Caterpillar has been the subject of organized boycott, divestment, and sanctions campaigns specifically related to its equipment provision to the Israeli military and settlement operations. Documented divestment actions include:

• Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global: excluded Caterpillar August 2025, held $2.1 billion (1.23% stake); Ethics Council found “unacceptable risk” of contributing to serious violations of international humanitarian law ^{11 12}.
• KLP (Norwegian pension fund): excluded Caterpillar June 2024, citing “unacceptable risk of contributing to violations of rights of individuals in situations of war or conflict” ¹³.
• ABP (Dutch pension fund): sold entire Caterpillar stake October 2025, valued at approximately $455 million ¹⁴.
• Alameda County: divested $32 million Caterpillar bonds December 2024 ¹⁵.

Caterpillar’s documented public response: a generic statement to the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre reading: “We have compassion for all persons affected by the political strife in the Middle East and support a peaceful resolution.” No specific response to the “no measures to prevent such use” finding by Norway’s Ethics Council has been identified ¹⁶.

Regulatory & Legal Actions

No OECD National Contact Point complaint specifically against Caterpillar has been identified. Source classes checked include OECD Watch database, Caterpillar SEC filings, and general web searches.

No export control actions, sanctions-related investigations, or regulatory inquiries specifically naming Caterpillar for technology sales or services to Israeli state entities have been identified in public records. Source classes checked include U.S. Commerce Department and BIS export control records, OFAC sanctions listings, and general web searches.

End Notes