Australia has extended its contract to lease Israel Aerospace Industries Heron unmanned air vehicles for use in Afghanistan.
The leasing contract with Canada's MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates will be extended until 2012, said minister for defence materiel Jason Clare.
"[The Heron] gives commanders better awareness of what is happening on the ground where troops are deployed," said Clare.
The initial lease contract was signed in 2009, with Australia's first Herons arriving in Afghanistan in January 2010.
The UAVs are deployed with Australian air force and army units at Kandahar airfield in support of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.
Source: Flight International
