Posted on 11/16/2009 11:53:18 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Israel Aerospace Industries has signed a $350 million deal with Brazil to supply Heron unmanned aerial vehicles to patrol the South American nation's borders and provide security for the 2014 World Cup tournament and the 2016 Olympic Games. All told the state-run company, flagship of Israel's defense industry, will provide 14 drones over several years, three of them by April 2010.
The deal comes amid a big surge in sales of Israeli UAVs worldwide, particularly with nations providing military forces in Afghanistan where UAVs have become a major component in the war against the Taliban and their jihadist allies.
The Brazilian contract, signed during a visit to Rio de Janiero by Israeli President Shimon Peres, marks a major Israeli move into that key South American market.
It coincides with reports that Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, one of the Jewish state's major defense companies, is in an advanced stage of negotiations to acquire a Brazilian defense firm valued at an estimated $50 million.
It would be Israel's first corporate acquisition in Brazil, Latin America's economic powerhouse, and give Rafael an opening to expand its operations there.
Senior executives of Rafael, Elbit Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries accompanied Peres on his visit to Brazil.
Elbit is the largest Israeli defense company operating in Brazil, with sales of $750 million over the last decade. IAI has established a joint venture with Brazil's Synergy Group, whose products include UAVs.
Israel's UAVs now rival America's in the skies over war-torn Afghanistan as NATO and allied forces increasingly turn to them for gathering intelligence on the Taliban.
(Excerpt) Read more at spacewar.com ...
Israel Aerospace Industries has signed a $350 million deal with Brazil to supply Heron unmanned aerial vehicles to patrol the South American nation's borders and provide security for the 2014 World Cup tournament and the 2016 Olympic Games... will provide 14 drones over several years, three of them by April 2010. The deal comes amid a big surge in sales of Israeli UAVs worldwide... coincides with reports that Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, one of the Jewish state's major defense companies, is in an advanced stage of negotiations to acquire a Brazilian defense firm valued at an estimated $50 million... Israel's UAVs now rival America's in the skies over war-torn Afghanistan as NATO and allied forces increasingly turn to them for gathering intelligence on the Taliban.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.