Israel signs $400 million deal on spy drones with Russia

Israel signs $400 million deal on spy drones with Russia

2010-10-15 02:14:43 GMT+7 (ICT)

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL (BNO NEWS) -- Israel signed a $400 million deal to sell unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Russia over a three-year period, Israel Aerospace Industrie said on Thursday.

Russian arm manufacturer OPK Oboronprom agreed to buy the spy drones from Israel Aerospace Industries. Under the terms of the agreement signed, the unmanned aerial vehicles will be assembled in Russia.

"This is a huge step toward deepening cooperation between IAI and Russian industry. This agreement will also strengthen the bilateral relationship between Israel and Russia," the two companies said in a joint statement.

In April 2009, OPK Oboronprom announced an initial $50 million purchase of UAVs. After that, the Russian arm manufacturer has been looking to buy more spy drones from Israel Aerospace Industries.

OPK Oboronprom, a company that manufactures helicopter and other aviation technologies, focused more on seeking UAVs after the war with Georgia which exposed a Russian Army with obsolete equipment and a lack of modern spy drones.

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