10 Israeli drones headed for Afghanistan
shyster1
By Yaakov Katz ,
The Jerusalem Post
December 10, 2009
Ten new Israeli-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will debut in
Afghanistan in the coming weeks, after the Israel Aerospace Industries
made the first delivery of the Heron UAV to the Royal Australian Air
Force (RAAF) on Thursday.
Under the $91-million lease, the RAAF will receive 10 Heron UAVs,
mission payloads, Automatic Ground Control Stations as well as spare
parts. Canadian company MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA)
already provides maintenance for the Canadian Air Force - which
operates Herons in Afghanistan - and will support the RAAF mission as
well.
The Heron was also recently leased to the German military and last
month the Brazilian government announced that it was prepared to sign
a $350-million deal to purchase Heron UAVs to patrol its cities and
borders, and provide security for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic
Games.
The first UAV was delivered to the RAAF during a ceremony at the Ein
Shemer landing strip in the North attended by the Canadian military
attaché, Col. Geordie Elms, the Australian military attaché, Col.
Wayne Fleming, and representatives from the Ministry of Defense, MDA
and Israel Aerospace Industries.
The RAAF chose the Heron from among a number of competitors after it
successfully completed a series of tests of its intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. Under the deal, the
Heron will begin operations in early 2010 for one year, with an option
for an additional two years.
The RAAF expects the Heron to significantly increase its operational
capabilities in the war in Afghanistan. The Heron is a Medium Altitude
Long Endurance UAV that can remain airborne for over 30 hours with a
cruising altitude of 30,000 feet and carry a payload of 250 kg.
It has a wingspan of 16.6 meters, a takeoff weight of 1,200 kg, an
operational range of several hundred kilometers, an automatic takeoff
and landing system and according to IAI, is well suited to the
challenging climate and conditions of Afghanistan.
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