The Singapore Air Force has officially announced its receipt and deployment of the Heron-1 unmanned aerial vehicle, which is manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries, the Straits Times daily newspaper reported in Singapore on Thursday. The announcement boosts Israel's already strong international standing as a top-grade UAV manufacturer. The Straits Times called the drone "Singapore's new eye in the sky," and said, "Heron-1 not only makes it easier for soldiers to conduct reconnaissance missions but is also safer for them to spot the enemy." According to the report, an official event was held on Wednesday to mark the incorporation of the drone in the air force. At the event, Flight Commander Low Jun Horng, who flew aircraft for four months in Afghanistan in 2010, said, "In Afghanistan, we were very concerned about the safety of our crews when we went out to the field." Horng said his team was always exposed to direct and indirect attacks as they went out on a mission, and the Heron-1, which can launch and land automatically, reduces the dangers. The drones will replace others in use by the Singapore Air Force since 1994. The previous drones, known as "Searchers," were also manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries, but required teams of pilots to launch them and land them. The Heron-1 can reportedly remain airborne for 24 hours (three times more than the previous UAVs), and reach an altitude of 6.1 kilometers (3.8 miles) and a distance of 200 kilometers (124 miles), capabilities that are superior to those of the Searcher UAV. In addition, the Heron-1 can relay color images, while the Searcher was only able to transmit in black and white. Singapore's defense minister, Ng Eng Hen, reportedly described the move as "an important benchmark in turning the Singaporean armed forces into an effective and modern fighting force." The report in the Straits Times predicted that global expenditures on UAVs will almost double from the current $6.6 billion annually to $11.4 billion annually within the next 10 years. Drones manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries have been purchased by several other countries, including Turkey, which purchaed 10 of them in an agreement signed in 2005. India and France also use the Heron-1 drone, although the French customized it for their own purposes and call it the "Eagle." Canada leased a Heron-1 for use in Afghanistan in 2009, and in the same year Australia leased two Herons also for use in Afghanistan.
