{"id":35156,"date":"2019-01-29T22:49:31","date_gmt":"2019-01-29T22:49:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2019\/01\/29\/israeli-air-force-starts-training-german-heron-tp-drone-pilots\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:24:03","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:24:03","slug":"israeli-air-force-starts-training-german-heron-tp-drone-pilots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/intel-geoint\/isr\/2019\/01\/29\/israeli-air-force-starts-training-german-heron-tp-drone-pilots\/","title":{"rendered":"Israeli Air Force starts training German Heron TP drone pilots"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

COLOGNE, Germany \u2014 The initial class of German Air Force drone pilots began their training on the Heron TP drone at the Israeli Tel Nof Airbase near Tel Aviv on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Launch of the inaugural class for the first six crews of two \u2014 one pilot and one sensor operator \u2014 comes after the German parliament last summer approved the purchase of flying time of five Heron TP drones. The German forces want to use the aircraft, made by Israel Aerospace Industries, for surveillance and eventually armed missions supporting the Bundeswehr deployments in Mali and Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

German officials were careful to say that the eight-week training is restricted to the surveillance capabilities of the drones. That is because the idea of unmanned aircraft carrying weapons is still controversial here despite assurances by the Defence Ministry that missiles would be fired only in the event of immediate danger to German ground troops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defense officials are expected to forward a separate request to lawmakers for steps to arm the drones. Such a petition is sure to kick off another debate on the adoption of a technology considered par for the course amid major allied militaries. A defense spokesman did not immediately return this reporter\u2019s question about the government\u2019s envisioned timing for a new proposal.<\/p>\n\n\n\t