Swiss Air Force receives first Israeli drones

One of the new drones being tested in September © Keystone / Urs Flueeler

The first two of six new drones from Israel have been handed over to the Swiss Air Force – years later than planned. The remaining four drones of the new reconnaissance drone system (ADS 15) are scheduled to arrive by the end of the year.

Material for the first two drones has also been handed over to the air force, namely ground control stations, sensors, as well as logistics and training material, the Federal Office for Defence Procurement (Armasuisse) said in a statementExternal link on Monday. The military aviation authority had issued the necessary certification.

Parliament approved a credit of CHF250 million ($270 million) for the procurement in 2015. The Israeli origin of the aircraft was criticised at the time. The predecessor Ranger drones were taken out of service in 2019.

The new drones should have been in the air since 2019. However, technical problems caused their delay. Armasuisse therefore imposed contractual penalties on the Israeli manufacturer, Elbit Systems, and negotiated additional services, such as certification of the de-icing system.

The unarmed drones are to be operational for 20 years. They are used for situational and target reconnaissance. However, they can also be equipped to generate an image of the situation on the ground or for electronic reconnaissance. They can be used by day and by night.

The nine-metre-long unmanned aerial vehicles with a wingspan of 17 metres can be used by military and civilian agencies. They can be used, for example, by cantonal command staff, police and rescue services and the border guard corps.