LONDON — Iran has obtained advanced military global positioning
systems from Germany.
The systems were designed for use on unmanned aerial vehicles, several of which were supplied by Iran to Hizbullah during its recent war with Israel.
German prosecutors said Iran established front companies that procured
satellite navigation systems for unmanned aerial vehicles. The prosecutors
said the GPS significantly enhanced the UAV payload.
The disclosure was made during a trial of several Iranian businessmen in Dusseldorf,
Germany on charges of violating export laws.
German prosecutor Johannes Mocken said at least 10 GPS systems were
ordered. Mocken said seven were delivered to Iran and three were intercepted
by German authorities.
"We have to assume that the accused knew exactly or were at least
acquainted with the fact that these GPS systems were destined to be used in
Iran's military UAV program," Mocken said.
Iran has been a leading producer of UAVs in the Middle East. Teheran was
said to have designed and produced up to nine UAV models, some of them
supplied to Hizbullah during its 33-day war with Israel.
