Anatolian Agency
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 20, 2009 14:54
ANKARA - Turkey has not revoked its contract with Israeli companies to purchase unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAV, Turkey's Defense Minister said on Wednesday.
"There is no cancellation regarding the Herons (Israeli-made UAVs), but there is an examination," Vecdi Gonul told reporters when asked about media reports claiming that Turkey cancelled the deal.
Turkey agreed with Israel Aerospace Industry, or IAI, and Elbit three years ago to buy 10 Heron UAVs for over $180 million. Israeli firms delivered two of the Herons in December 2008, but delays have meant the remaining eight have failed to be delivered.
Earlier this year, Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul had said other Herons would join the Turkish army by the end of April.
However, Turkey sped up a project to manufacture its own military surveillance drones after Israeli companies missed the deadline, Turkish defense industry officials said.
On Monday, an Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, wrote that Turkey was mulling cancellation of the deal due to the delay in delivery. An Israeli official told the Israeli daily that the problem was the camera produced by a Turkish company which is attached to the craft. Israeli official said the camera was too heavy for the Herons to fly to a height of 30,000 feet.
Turkish officials said that Turkey was not responsibility for the delay. Haaretz wrote that a Turkish official said the Israeli company had information about the weight of cameras to be installed on Herons and that the Israeli party had told Turkey weight would not be a problem.
Turkish officials told A.A that Turkish engineers were working hard on a national project to enhance the abilities of current Turkish UAV which is expected to be fully completed next year. Turkish-made UAVs will be able to take pictures from 10 kilometers above the earth.
