(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - April 7, 2009: Russia has purchased its first unmanned drones from Israel after its own manufacturers turned out to be ineffective at making the high-tech reconnaissance aircraft, a newspaper reported April 7. 
The IAI Searcher is a reconnaissance UAV developed in Israel in the 1980s. In the following decade, it replaced the IMI Mastiff and IAI Scout UAVs then in service with the Israeli Army.
The Searcher looks almost identical to the Scout and Pioneer, but is scaled up, and in fact is well over twice the size of the Scout. The Searcher is powered by a 35 kW (47 hp) piston engine. It not only features updated avionics and sensor systems as well as greater endurance, but increased redundancy for improved survivability. It is also used by Thailand, Turkey and the Republic of Korea.
The Israelis are now using the further improved "Searcher II", yet another scale-up of the basic Scout design with improved endurance.
The deal for an initial purchase of $50 million worth of drones was concluded in early April with Israel Aerospace Industries, the Kommersant daily said, citing a Russian defense industry source.
"The value of the first deal is not so large ... [but] what is important is not the size, but the fact that domestic military customers have turned to a foreign supplier. This will not end with a single purchase," Kommersant said.
Russia decided to purchase the Israeli company's Bird-Eye 400, I-View MK150 and Search MK II drones, the newspaper reported, without specifying when the first drones would be delivered.
A Defense Ministry spokesman declined to comment about the report.
The IAI Searcher is a reconnaissance UAV developed in Israel in the 1980s. In the following decade, it replaced the IMI Mastiff and IAI Scout UAVs then in service with the Israeli Army.
The Searcher looks almost identical to the Scout and Pioneer, but is scaled up, and in fact is well over twice the size of the Scout. The Searcher is powered by a 35 kW (47 hp) piston engine. It not only features updated avionics and sensor systems as well as greater endurance, but increased redundancy for improved survivability. It is also used by Thailand, Turkey and the Republic of Korea.
The Israelis are now using the further improved "Searcher II", yet another scale-up of the basic Scout design with improved endurance.
The deal for an initial purchase of $50 million worth of drones was concluded in early April with Israel Aerospace Industries, the Kommersant daily said, citing a Russian defense industry source.
"The value of the first deal is not so large ... [but] what is important is not the size, but the fact that domestic military customers have turned to a foreign supplier. This will not end with a single purchase," Kommersant said.
Russia decided to purchase the Israeli company's Bird-Eye 400, I-View MK150 and Search MK II drones, the newspaper reported, without specifying when the first drones would be delivered.
A Defense Ministry spokesman declined to comment about the report.
Moscow began shopping for foreign unmanned aircraft after last year's war in Georgia. Defense analysts say Georgia made effective use of its Israeli drones in the conflict, while Russia's home-made drones turned out to be inferior.
Russia is in the midst of an ongoing effort to modernize its military and equip its armed forces with up-to-date technology.
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