U.S. to Supply Lebanon with six ScanEagle UAVs

Lebanon will soon receive military hardware and support worth $120 million from the US Department of Defense under the DoD “Building Partner Capacity” program.

During a visit in Lebanon, the commander of US Central Command, General Joseph Votel announced a planned transfer of six MD 530G light attack helicopters and six ScanEagle UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) along with communications equipment, electronics equipment, night vision devices, and training.

The U.S. has provided more than $1 billion in military assistance to Lebanon since 2006. According to the US Defense Security agency, in past years the Pentagon transferred to Lebanon six A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircrafts, two were delivered in October and four will follow next year. UH-1H Huey helicopters, Hellfire and TOW-2A missiles.

The Face of the Bubbling Armed UAV Industry

The extensive use of UAVs by the US in Iraq and Afghanistan has raised debates over issues like civilian deaths, international law, efficacy of strikes and deterrence.

The Israeli Air Force used a weaponized drone, the Pioneer, in the 1982 war in Lebanon which impressed US for increased UAV procurement and research. Nineteen years after, the 9\11 terrorist attack created a new demand to hunt down terrorists in remote areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Today, the US uses three types of drones built by General Atomics with offensive capabilities: the MQ-1 Predator, the MQ-1C Sky Warrior, and the MQ-9 Reaper. The US military uses them in two broad ways: Reconnaissance and hunter-killer missions.

Drone surveillance and attack capabilities have been effective psychologically as fear keeps also plays a major part. While drone attacks are the most effective weapon against terrorism, its net effects are difficult to judge. The presence of armed drones is a reality of the modern battlefield, but only a limited group of countries has the technological ability to produce them or the military capacity to operate them.

Currently, US and China export armed drones, and Israel is in the vicinity. As Russia, Turkey, South Korea and others join the market, a surge in globally available systems for a fruitful market could lead to a new dangerous era.

(Read more...)

Otro UAV procedente de Líbano penetra en el espacio aereo israelí

De acuerdo con las noticias difundidas hace unas horas por el sitio web israelí rotter.net, el UAV entro en el espacio aereo israelí en torno a la 1:00 A.M. (hora de Israel) procedente de Naqoura y sobrevoló territorio Israelí durante aproximadamente veinte minutos. Después volvió rumbo a Líbano sin ser interceptado por Israel. Se cree que el UAV ha sido lanzado por Hezbollah, pues ya en 2012 y 2013 realizó ese tipo de acciones contra Israel.

¿Qué es la Impresión 3D?

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Israel: IAF's PMD Intercepted A Hostile UAV

For the first time, the Patriot Missile Division shot down an UAV that breached Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip.

The threat of hostile UAVs has increased since the Second Lebanon War in 2006: In October of 2012, IAF fighter jets intercepted a UAV that breached Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip, and approximately a year ago IAF fighter jets intercepted a UAV in the skies above northern Israel after it infiltrated Israeli territory from the Lebanese border. 

Since 2012, there has been a significant upgrade of the Patriot system and an adjustment to deal with the latest challenges, among them the interception of unmanned aerial vehicles: "The 'Patriot' Missile Division is an inseparable part of the IAF's and its talented soldiers' answer to threats such as ground-to-ground missiles", said Colonel Chemi Bar-El, Commander of the "Sky Protection" Branch. "But, in the modern battlefield, the main threat comes from hostile UAVs and hang gliders". 

IDF shoots down drone from Lebanon opposite Haifa coast

 

At around 13:30 P.M., the Air Force control system identified the UAV, and launched fighter jets into the air. An F-16 jet then fired an air-to-air missile and downed the unmanned aircraft. (Read more)