Russia to buy Israeli spy drones
Sunday, 12 April 2009
MOSCOW, April 11 (AP): Russian media are quoting a top military official as saying that Russia is buying pilotless spy drones from Israel.
It would be Russia's first purchase of military hardware from Israel.
State-run RIA-Novosti and ITAR-Tass cite Russian Deputy Defence Minister Vladimir Popovkin as saying Friday that his nation has signed a contract to buy an unspecified number of the pilotless aircraft from an unidentified Israeli company.
According to the reports, Popovkin says Russia has no plans to use the Israeli drones in combat, but to study them to help Russia improve its own spy drones, which he said performed poorly in the August war with Georgia.
It would be Russia's first purchase of military hardware from Israel.
State-run RIA-Novosti and ITAR-Tass cite Russian Deputy Defence Minister Vladimir Popovkin as saying Friday that his nation has signed a contract to buy an unspecified number of the pilotless aircraft from an unidentified Israeli company.
According to the reports, Popovkin says Russia has no plans to use the Israeli drones in combat, but to study them to help Russia improve its own spy drones, which he said performed poorly in the August war with Georgia.