Tel Aviv. Israeli UAV manufacturers are following with great interest the plans of Pakistan to purchase Chinese made UAVs.

The Chinese state media revealed in December that the government in Beijing plans to allow the sale of 50-70 of the locally made Wing Loong II armed UAVs to Pakistan.

The Wing Loong II is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group in the People’s Republic of China intended for use as a surveillance and aerial reconnaissance platform. It is also capable of being fitted with air-to-surface weapons for use in an Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) role.

Based on official marketing material it can carry the BA-7 air-to-ground missile, YZ-212 laser-guided bomb, YZ-102A anti-personnel bomb and 50-kilogram LS-6 miniature guided bomb.

Israeli sources told Raksha Anirveda that the Chinese intention will create an urgent need for some very advanced unmanned systems developed by Israeli companies.

India is operating Israeli made UAVs and planned to purchase more but the sources referred to systems with “more combat capabilities.” They refused to be more specific.

India is already operating Israel aerospace industries (IAI) Heron UAV, and planned to acquire the Heron TP. These are unarmed but foreign sources say that the Heron –TP is capable of carrying weapons.

Germany has leased some Heron –TP from IAI and the German crews are now being trained in Israel. The training is taking place in a special complex that was set up in Israel air force (IAF) Tel Nof airbase. The training is conducted by the IAF’s Heron –TP squadron officers.

The training, based on the vast experience the IAF, has gained by operating this strategic UAV in different conditions.

The German personnel is part of the one that already operates the Heron – 1 UAV, also manufactured by Israel aerospace industries (IAI) . This version is flying in Mali and Afghanistan.

While the training is underway, voices are growing in Germany to stop any plan to arm the UAV, to be used mainly in Africa.

As part of the process, the German politicians visited Israel two 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 UAV 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 Defense 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