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BERLIN - With the first German Air Force UAV crews trained in Israel, Germany is preparing to send the first of its Israeli-supplied Heron 1 to Afghanistan by March, Luftwaffe officials said.
The German Air Force's first eight UAV operators completed training in January as aerial vehicle and payload operators. Luftwaffe personnel and German civilian maintainers have received training on the Heron 1 platform in Israel since late 2009.
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A product of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the Heron 1 was acquired by the Luftwaffe to fulfill an urgent requirement for a MALE UAV capability. The Heron 1 offers an all-weather, day-and-night intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability.
Carrying a 500-pound payload, the Heron 1 can conduct missions of up to 24 hours' duration, depending on the particular mission fit.
Payloads include synthetic aperture radar, electro-optical and infrared sensors, and a datalink to transmit full-motion video in near-real time.
The Luftwaffe will receive three Heron Is and two ground stations in 2010. The systems are initially being leased from IAI, which is working in conjunction with Germany's Rheinmetall Defence. Germany's Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement selected the Heron 1 ahead of the Global Atomics Predator in 2009. Contract value is described by Rheinmetall as "a significant double-digit million euro amount." The contract will initially run for one year, with an option to extend this by two more years. Under the deal, Rheinmetall provides a complete package of logistics and repair services in the Afghan area of operations.
On Feb. 5, the Luftwaffe officially stood up its first UAV squadron, under Aufklärungsgeschwader 51 (Reconnaissance Wing 51) based at Schleswig-Jagel in northern Germany. The same unit and base will accommodate the Euro Hawk HALE UAV, with operational deliveries planned from the third quarter of 2011. Equipped with electronic intelligence equipment, the Euro Hawk is based on the RQ-4 Global Hawk. Five Euro Hawks are on order for the Luftwaffe.
To date, the German contingent in Afghanistan has relied on Reconnaissance Wing 51's six Tornado IDS, sent to support the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) under a March 2007 decision by the German parliament. A Tornado detachment has been operating from Mazar-e Sharif since April 2007.
Heron UAVs are already in operation in Afghanistan with the armed forces of Canada, Australia and France.
By THOMAS NEWDICK
Published: 19 Feb 2010 18:43
Germany Prepares to Deploy UAVs to Afghanistan - Defense News
The German Air Force's first eight UAV operators completed training in January as aerial vehicle and payload operators. Luftwaffe personnel and German civilian maintainers have received training on the Heron 1 platform in Israel since late 2009.
Related Topics
A product of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the Heron 1 was acquired by the Luftwaffe to fulfill an urgent requirement for a MALE UAV capability. The Heron 1 offers an all-weather, day-and-night intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability.
Carrying a 500-pound payload, the Heron 1 can conduct missions of up to 24 hours' duration, depending on the particular mission fit.
Payloads include synthetic aperture radar, electro-optical and infrared sensors, and a datalink to transmit full-motion video in near-real time.
The Luftwaffe will receive three Heron Is and two ground stations in 2010. The systems are initially being leased from IAI, which is working in conjunction with Germany's Rheinmetall Defence. Germany's Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement selected the Heron 1 ahead of the Global Atomics Predator in 2009. Contract value is described by Rheinmetall as "a significant double-digit million euro amount." The contract will initially run for one year, with an option to extend this by two more years. Under the deal, Rheinmetall provides a complete package of logistics and repair services in the Afghan area of operations.
On Feb. 5, the Luftwaffe officially stood up its first UAV squadron, under Aufklärungsgeschwader 51 (Reconnaissance Wing 51) based at Schleswig-Jagel in northern Germany. The same unit and base will accommodate the Euro Hawk HALE UAV, with operational deliveries planned from the third quarter of 2011. Equipped with electronic intelligence equipment, the Euro Hawk is based on the RQ-4 Global Hawk. Five Euro Hawks are on order for the Luftwaffe.
To date, the German contingent in Afghanistan has relied on Reconnaissance Wing 51's six Tornado IDS, sent to support the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) under a March 2007 decision by the German parliament. A Tornado detachment has been operating from Mazar-e Sharif since April 2007.
Heron UAVs are already in operation in Afghanistan with the armed forces of Canada, Australia and France.
By THOMAS NEWDICK
Published: 19 Feb 2010 18:43
Germany Prepares to Deploy UAVs to Afghanistan - Defense News
