[Haaretz]
“When Israeli-licensed military drones first took off from Syrian air force bases to stalk opponents of Bashar Assad’s regime, shortly after Russia’s 2015 intervention, they were an oddity, newcomers to a conflict that had already featured military Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) from the United States, Iran, and Turkey.”
“Over half a decade later, a clearer picture has emerged of just how pivotal the Russian variant of the Israeli Aerospace Industries Searcher II, redubbed “Forpost” by its operators, has played in rescuing the Assad regime from the brink of implosion and helping to maintain its military and balance of terror advantage in the decade-long civil war – with a critical role in (illegally) targeting civilian infrastructure, including hospitals.”
“Despite its Israeli origin, Russia’s military openly boasts that the Forpost is one of its most crucial pieces of technology, a constant presence in the skies above Syria, scoping out targets so human pilots don’t have to risk reconnaissance flights, and assessing bomb damage. In other words: the Forpost helps the Russian military in Syria decide what to bomb, if strikes have inflicted sufficient damage, and when to drop even more bombs.”
“Why did Russia turn to Israeli drones? During its 2008 conflict with Georgia in South Ossetia, Russia lost significant numbers of aircraft, and subsequently sought to offset a perceived disadvantage against not only the Georgian military, which had Israeli drones, but future opponents too.”
“Putin thus decided to take the rare step of purchasing foreign military technology, approaching Israeli Aircraft Industries, one of the country’s largest, and state-owned, aerospace and aviation manufacturer.”
“Two years later, IAI had completed a $400 million deal to export and license out its Searcher II UAVs to be flown and license-produced in Russia as “Forposts.””
“Russian crews reportedly trained to operate the UAV system in Israel and at least one further export deal was reported by Israeli and Russian media in 2015, which was after Russia’s internationally condemned occupation of Crimea, a fact that should have made it clear that the Forpost would be used for hostile, if not illegal, purposes.”
“In the competitive international drone market, IAI benefits from its seamless connection with the Israel Air Force, considered a world expert in the field, boasting a complete unmanned aircraft squadron positioned at the Palmahim airbase. The sale of drones for use by foreign air forces usually includes joint training with Israel or instruction in Israel; known Searcher drone clients include the governments of Russia, India, South Korea, Turkey, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Singapore.”
Read more: How Putin Uses Israeli Drones to Bomb Civilians in Syria
2021-week20
