UK renews Hermes 450 contract for Afghanistan

By Arie Egozi

The British Army is to receive continued intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance services in Afghanistan using leased Hermes 450 unmanned air vehicles, while it moves closer to fielding its own Watchkeeper system.Elbit Systems/Thales UK joint venture UAS Tactical Systems (U-TacS) - prime contractor for the Watchkeeper deal - has been awarded a follow-on contract under an urgent operational requirement deal worth about £44.5 million ($70 million), Elbit says.The new deal will extend the company's current tactical UAV service in Afghanistan by a further 18 months. Implemented in 2007 and extended last year, this includes the provision of Hermes 450 air vehicles, plus in-theatre support.

Posted in: Afghanistan,Fighting Al Qaeda and Taliban,israel,UAV