Defense sources told Today’s Zaman that Turkish and Israeli officers are currently testing the UAVs, which have been stationed in the southeastern province of Batman.
The first six UAV aircraft ordered from Israel were delivered to Turkey in March, following a delay of over two years. The arrival of the Heron drones in Turkey comes amidst ongoing tensions between Turkey and Israel, the ties between which came close to the breaking point on May 31 when Israeli commandoes killed eight Turkish citizens and one American aboard a humanitarian aid ship.
Turkey had agreed in 2004 to buy 10 Heron UAVs for more than $180 million from Israeli companies IAI and Elbit. However, the Israeli firms missed the deadline for delivery.
Israel said the delay was caused by the difficulty in strengthening Heron engines to enable local Aselsan-made electro-optical payloads (Aselfir300T) to be fitted onto the Heron UAVs.
The Israeli companies were expected to deliver four Herons in August of 2009, followed by another two and then the last four by the end of October 2009. However, the deadline passed, and the Israeli Herons that were delivered failed to reach the predicted aerial elevations or to fulfill the maximum flight times specified in the agreement.
One Heron UAV can watch six different targets at the same time. In addition to intelligence gathering, it can also illuminate targets for airplanes, helicopters and guided missiles. Heron UAVs can also stay in the air for 24 hours at an elevation of up to 30,000 feet, and transfer data within a range of 350 kilometers.
