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| IAI Panther on display at Singapore Airshow 2012 (Image: Wiki Commons) |
by David Donald
Israel Aerospace Industries (Chalet CD03) has been a pioneer of unmanned vehicles for four decades, and its expertise in the sector continues to grow. Although best-known for its large UAVs, such as the Heron that recently logged its 70,000th combat flying hour over Afghanistan (serving with Australia, Canada, France and Germany), IAI has also designed a range of smaller unmanned vehicles and associated technologies.
A new development is the signing of a memorandum of agreement with Korean composite manufacturer Hankuk Carbon, under which the companies will create a joint venture to manufacture and market vertical take-off UAVs. Forecasts suggest that demand for VTUAVs for shipborne use will grow considerably over the next few years, and the new joint venture will focus initially on developing a vehicle of between 440 and 660 pounds weight that meets the needs of the Republic of Korea Navy.
Read the full story at AINonline