Israeli manufacturers of micro- and mini-unmanned air systems have asked the nation's defence ministry to ease export restrictions on such equipment, claiming the current regulations are causing "big losses".
At a recent meeting companies argued that while the restrictions that apply to UAS with a larger payload potential and longer endurance make sense, those placed on the smallest systems are "not logical". Such regulations can prevent manufacturers offering designs to some potential customers entirely, or even if they are allowed, the regulations hinder the chances of winning a contract, sources say.
A defence ministry source says the problem has been presented and it will evaluate a way to ease export controls, while preventing systems from reaching "hostile hands".
In recent years terrorist organisations in Lebanon have made a number of attempts to use UAS – mostly of Iranian origin – to penetrate Israeli airspace, prompting the Israeli air force to scramble fighters to shoot them down. In recent weeks, Hamas militants in Gaza also attempted to use small commercial quadcopters.
"The terror organisations that are in a war with Israel have been trying to exploit the potential of UAS in their aggressive operations, and that forces us to be extra cautious when we approve the export of Israeli UAS of any size and weight," the defence ministry source says.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
