Baku, January 13, AZERTAC
German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen announced plans for the army to lease Heron TP drones from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) rather than buy Predator B drones from US defense contractor General Atomics, according to The Jerusalem Post.
General Inspector Volker Wieker, head of the army, favors the Israeli drones which like the Predator B can be armed, government sources said, adding Germany planned to lease between three and five drones from 2018.
The unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are to be stationed in Israel and will cost about 580 million euros.
"This is about drones that can be armed, that will be standard in the future," von der Leyen told reporters. "It is important for the protection of soldiers," she said, adding she would provide more information once the contracts had been agreed.
