.Russians in talks with Israelis to buy unmanned reconnaissance drones
MOSCOW: Russia could buy reconnaissance drones from Israel, a top general said Tuesday, after the military was caught short by Georgia's own Israeli drones in a war this summer.
The head of Russia's general staff, General Nikolai Makarov, confirmed that talks were under way after a corresponding report in the Kommersant newspaper.
"We're talking about the purchase of a test batch of Israeli reconnaissance drones," Interfax quoted Makarov as saying.
"If our industry is unable to produce in the near future the drones we need, then possibly we will purchase one batch, first for testing, from Israel," he said.
Earlier Kommersant said the head of the armed forces, General Vladimir Popovkin, was in Israel in late November for talks on the purchase with Israel's Defense Ministry and defense contractor Israel Aerospace Industries.
It quoted a Russian arms-industry official as saying: "A contract for producing drones is almost certain to be given to Israel Aerospace Industries."
The daily also quoted an Israeli Defense Ministry official as saying that a decision had been taken "at the highest level but the further fate of the contract is still being discussed."
Kommersant cited Israeli news reports as saying the value of the proposed contract would be $10-$12 million but said the true sum was likely to be much higher.
Defense experts say Russia found itself lacking drones during August's war with Georgia, while the Georgian side made wide use of such Israeli devices, including in an attack that seriously wounded Russia's commander in the Caucasus, General Anatoly Khrulev.
"The Russian Army found itself working practically blind," Kommersant said.
In early August Georgia launched an attack on the breakaway region of South Ossetia, killing scores of civilians and Russian peacekeepers in an offensive that sparked a decisive Russian response.
The paper noted that Russia had refrained from outspoken criticism of Israeli arms supplies to Georgia, despite scathing criticism of Ukraine for the same reason.
It said this silence was connected to the drone purchase, which was likely to be opposed by Washington.
Arms trading between Israel and Russia is a touchy subject due to Russian arms ties to Israel's foes in the Middle East, Syria and Iran.
Daily Star
We must all just be an drugs, and this is just all a bad hallucination.
The head of Russia's general staff, General Nikolai Makarov, confirmed that talks were under way after a corresponding report in the Kommersant newspaper.
"We're talking about the purchase of a test batch of Israeli reconnaissance drones," Interfax quoted Makarov as saying.
"If our industry is unable to produce in the near future the drones we need, then possibly we will purchase one batch, first for testing, from Israel," he said.
Earlier Kommersant said the head of the armed forces, General Vladimir Popovkin, was in Israel in late November for talks on the purchase with Israel's Defense Ministry and defense contractor Israel Aerospace Industries.
It quoted a Russian arms-industry official as saying: "A contract for producing drones is almost certain to be given to Israel Aerospace Industries."
The daily also quoted an Israeli Defense Ministry official as saying that a decision had been taken "at the highest level but the further fate of the contract is still being discussed."
Kommersant cited Israeli news reports as saying the value of the proposed contract would be $10-$12 million but said the true sum was likely to be much higher.
Defense experts say Russia found itself lacking drones during August's war with Georgia, while the Georgian side made wide use of such Israeli devices, including in an attack that seriously wounded Russia's commander in the Caucasus, General Anatoly Khrulev.
"The Russian Army found itself working practically blind," Kommersant said.
In early August Georgia launched an attack on the breakaway region of South Ossetia, killing scores of civilians and Russian peacekeepers in an offensive that sparked a decisive Russian response.
The paper noted that Russia had refrained from outspoken criticism of Israeli arms supplies to Georgia, despite scathing criticism of Ukraine for the same reason.
It said this silence was connected to the drone purchase, which was likely to be opposed by Washington.
Arms trading between Israel and Russia is a touchy subject due to Russian arms ties to Israel's foes in the Middle East, Syria and Iran.
Daily Star
We must all just be an drugs, and this is just all a bad hallucination.
posted by madtom at 12:52 AM
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