Tel Aviv. While the governments of some European countries do not understand that Iran is fooling the West and galloping towards the bomb, some European air forces are continuing to closely cooperate with the Israel air force (IAF).
While Turkey became a De Jure member of NATO other De Facto coalitions are being built in the West Asia with European cooperation with an eye on Iran that is now free to gallop undisturbed to the bomb and other advanced weapon systems.
Last year the Israeli air force performed an exercise with the German air force in Germany.
The relations between the two air forces are part of a growing cooperation between the IAF and other “Regional” and European air forces, like those of Greece and Italy.
While as said this operational cooperation may seem to be based on the need to learn from each other and especially from the IAF which performs combat missions every day, others see a different reason.
Sources point to the fact that the German air force has been part of the coalition that helped the US forces in Syria to fight the last strongholds of the Islamic state organization.
Those who claim that the cooperation between the air forces is not just for “mutual learning” say that the behind the scenes reasons for the buildup of these coalitions are two – the threat posed by Iran and the fact that Turkey has in fact left NATO and is building broader relations with Russia and China.
Israeli sources told Raksha Anirveda that the cooperation between the IAF and some European air forces continues and that this benefits all sides.
In recent months German servicemen were in the IAF Tel Nof base learning how to operate the Israel aerospace industries (IAI) Heron TP strategic UAV. Germany has leased a number of the Type for overseas operations.
Immediately after the training in Israel began, some politicians in Germany expressed their opposition to the plan to arm the UAV, to be used mainly in Africa.
As part of the process, the German politicians visited Israel three years ago, and met officials from Israel aerospace industries (IAI) that is manufacturing the UAV and with officers of the IAF.
The use of armed UAV has been in the focus of a political debate in Germany since the deal to lease the Heron-TP was signed.
The contract is for the lease of seven Heron – TP UAV. These are intended to support German operations in Africa and Asia.
The UAVs have been leased for a period of nine years and are capable of carrying “unique air-to-ground missiles,” according to German sources.
According to the German Defence Ministry, these weapons are capable of aborting their trajectory towards the target in case civilians may be hurt.
The arming of the MALE UAV was in the heart of the internal debate in Germany before the deal was approved, but is continuing.
German sources said that during the negotiations “several options to use Israeli developed weapons have been evaluated.”
At this point in time, there is no decision to arm the UAV.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist
