The Czech Ministry of Defence (MOD) has revealed that it is set to open negotiations with the Israeli government for the acquisition of three Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)-developed Heron I unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for aerial reconnaissance duties.
While the Czech MOD did not disclose when negotiations were scheduled to start in its August 8 announcement, it stated that the prospective deal would include three Heron I UAVs with related equipment and accessories, along with associated ground control stations, data terminals and transport containers. It added that the acquisition falls under the Czech Armed Forces Development Concept, which identified the Heron I as a solution for fulfilling an aerial reconnaissance requirement. The type would also be used for other taskings, such as providing direct combat support and protection to Czech ground units.
Commenting on this prospective acquisition and the Czech MOD’s approach to the negotiations, Czech Defence Minister Jana Černochová said: “Similar to other major acquisition projects, we opted for G2G, which is a direct government-to-government approach. This allows us to set up a long-term cooperation and provision of operation, repairs and spare parts throughout the service life of the acquired equipment.”
During the acquisition talks, the Czech MOD will aim to negotiate for the lowest possible price combined with the shortest lead time. “We believe the contract will be concluded already by the end of this year,” Černochová added.
In recent months, the Czech MOD has conducted preliminary market research to identify the best UAV to meet the needs of the Czech Armed Forces. Such efforts resulted in IAI’s Heron I being identified as the best solution for the Czech requirements.
Col Pavel Nakládal, who evaluated these unmanned solutions on behalf of the Czech Armed Forces, explained the decision: “Based on the evaluation of individual parameters to the project team of the [MOD] by the UAV suppliers we approached, the chosen equipment corresponds best to the intended use by the Czech Armed Forces and meets the future requirements for full use, both in the Czech Republic for training, and for possible support of units deployed abroad.”
Powered by a single Rotax 914 four-cylinder piston engine, the Heron I medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAV boasts a maximum speed of 112kts (207km/h) and an overall endurance of 52 hours. Variants of the Heron UAV family are operational with a number of air arms across the globe, including the air forces of Azerbaijan, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Greece, India, Israel, Malta, Morocco, Singapore and Turkey. The type completed its maiden flight in 1994.
