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Sunday, September 13, 2009, Ramadan 22, 1430

ARAF to use Israeli UAVs along Pak-Afghan border

Akhtar Jamal

Islamabad—Australian Royal Air Force in a bid to boost its operational intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability in Afghanistan by early next year will start operating Israeli UAVs to monitor the activities of militants.

According to a defence source, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has won a contract to supply its Heron Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) to MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA), who have been awarded a contract by the Australian Department of Defence (DoD) for unmanned aerial surveillance solution.

According to a report Heron, which will support Australian forces in Afghanistan under Project NANKEEN, will be operated by the Australian Royal Air Force and will provide a significant boost to the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) operational intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability in Afghanistan.

The Heron UAS will be the ADF’s first MALE platform in Afghanistan and is to go operational in early 2010.

Defence experts believe that Heron is expected to serve as a powerful Western ‘eyes in the skies’ in Afghanistan as well as neighbouring Pakistan.

Earlier Israeli-made Noctua Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) were deployed by the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan. Under a $100 million contract to MacDonanld Dettwiler Canadian forces were provided with Israeli UAVs which are operating from Kandahar Air Base in Afghanistan since early this year.

It was not clear if the Israeli experts would also join the deployment of Heron Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial System as the contract provides complete operations, maintenance and logistical support to in terms of , multi-sensor intelligence information direct to the theatre of operation.
 

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