ANKARA — Turkey has purchased strategic unmanned aerial vehicles
from Israel.
The Turkish Air Force has procured the Heron UAV from the state-owned
Israel Aircraft Industries. Turkish sources said the Heron beat the rival
U.S.-origin Predator in a project expected to eventually exceed $50 million.
"The first systems could be expected to arrive over the next few
months," a source said.
In September 2005, IAI and Turkey's Defense Industry Undersecretariat
signed a contract for two Heron systems, which included 10 UAVs, Middle East Newsline reported. The sources
said delivery was expected to begin by 2007.
The Heron has been described as a long-range strategic UAV deployed in
the militaries of Israel and India. The UAV has an electro-optic and
infrared search and rescue payload and could be used for maritime patrol
missions.
The sources said Turkey plans to help assemble the Heron payload. They
said Turkey's state-owned Aselsan would develop and install the
Heron's forward-looking infrared [FLIR] system.
In 2003, India acquired the Heron UAV. The French Air Force has selected
the Heron as the basis for the Eagle-1 medium-altitude, long-endurance
[MALE] UAV. The project, led by Thales, was said to have been delayed
because of U.S. refusal to provide components for satellite communications
for the UAV payload.
