Israel purposely downed one of its unmanned aerial vehicles on Saturday over the Mediterranean Sea after a malfunction was discovered in its engine. The decision to down the Heron-type drone, some five kilometers (three miles) off the coast, was made to prevent the drone from crashing in other parts of the region and possibly falling into enemy hands. The Israel Defense forces said that the drone was participating in routine security operations over the Mediterranean Sea. The Heron drone, which was introduced into the operational arena in 2007, uses classified and highly sophisticated communication and observation systems. It can soar to a height of 30,000 feet (10,000 meters), where it is virtually undetectable. The IDF uses the Heron for a variety of intelligence-gathering missions. Due to its advanced technological capabilities, the military is particularly wary of the drone falling into enemy hands. In late April, an air force fighter jet downed an enemy drone off the coast of Haifa. In January 2012, a more advanced Eitan-model drone crashed during a test flight conducted by the air force and the Israel Aerospace Industries, which manufactures it.
