jerusalem (jps) | The Indian military has been using Israeli-made drones around the clock to search for victims and survivors of the tsunami tidal waves that swept their coast.
The Indian Defense Ministry said the drones first were pressed into service Dec. 29 to locate survivors. They were sent on reconnaissance missions over the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
“We are operating the UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] from the naval base at Kochi for aerial reconnaissance. They send back pictures even as they fly. On spotting distressed people, we immediately rush helicopters to the spot for rescue operations,” one senior Indian officer was quoted as telling the India Times. “We are utilizing UAVs to find bodies deeply buried in jungles and urban areas.”
The Kochi naval base has eight Searcher Mark II and four Heron UAVs that were procured from Israel in 2002.
An official at Israel Aircraft Industries, where the planes are made, would not comment on the report. But industry sources confirmed that the disaster-struck country has been using Israeli drones to search for survivors and assess damages. The implementation in this natural disaster could push along a pending deal by India to purchase another batch of the long-endurance Heron drones. That deal would be worth upwards of $200 million.
With a 16-meter wingspan, the Heron can fly up to 52 hours of continuous flight and reach an altitude of 30,000 feet, according to the manufacturer.