Israeli drones operating in Iraq, Afghanistan

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:25:37 GMT

Heron unmanned aerial vehicle Israeli-built drones have been operating in the skies of Iraq and Afghanistan for the last three years under the US-led coalition.  The US Army has been operating the Hunter model of unmanned aerial vehicles over Iraq. The UAVs were manufactured in the Mississippi-based subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries - Stark Aerospace, Haaretz reported on Thursday. The top contractor for the project is the American defense company, Northrop Grumman.  Canada's air force has also operated Israeli-made Heron UAVs over conflict-plagued Afghanistan over the last year. The drones prowl the skies over southern Afghanistan, where Canadian ground troops have been locked in intense battles with insurgents.  The Heron - which has a distinctive twin boom tail and a narrow fuselage - has replaced a small, French-built Sperwer UAV that Canada had been flying in Afghanistan for several years.  The US-led coalition has also been employing drones to launch cross-border attacks in Pakistan's tribal area.