Azerbaijan asked Israeli company to demonstrate drone on Armenian military posts: probe underway
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YEREVAN, AUGUST 14, ARMENPRESS. Israel’s defense ministry probes allegation according to which Azerbaijan asked Aeronautics Defense Systems to demonstrate drone on Armenian military positions, Haaretz reports.
The defense ministry recently received a complaint alleging that after a team from Aeronautics Defense Systems came to Azerbaijan seeking to finalize a contract for the sale of company's Orbiter 1K unmanned aircraft, they were asked to deploy the aircraft, armed with explosives, on a military position of the Armenian army.
The existence of the complaint was reported on August 13 by the Israeli daily paper Maariv.
The company, however, denies the allegation that its staff conducted such a mission, stating that the company “never carries out demonstrations on live targets, and that was true in this case as well”.
“Aeronautics markets its products to customers in about 50 different countries,[and] only in accordance with approval from the Defense Export Controls Agency. The operational action was carried out by the purchaser alone [Azerbaijan] on its responsibility. Aeronautics has never carried out demonstrations on live targets, and that was true in this case as well”, the company said.
According to Maariv, the two Israeli operators of the craft refused to hit the Armenian position, and after remaining firm in their refusal even after the Azerbaijani threats directed against them, senior representatives of the company armed and operated the unmanned aircraft themselves. Ultimately the drones are said to have missed their targets, and no damage was caused, but according to the complaint, one of them struck at a distance of about 100 meters (330 feet) from the position.
The Israeli defense ministry said on this matter: “As a rule, the defense ministry does not make it a practice to comment on issues involving military exports. The claim is being examined by the relevant parties at the ministry”.
The Orbiter 1k in is capable of carrying a special 1 to 2 kilogram (2.2 to 4.4 pound) special explosive payload.
Haaretz reminds that previously Azerbaijan also applied Israeli drones: in particular, in April, 2016 it was reported that an aircraft of Harop model produced by Israel Aerospace Industries hit a bus of Armenian volunteers as a result of which seven were killed.
Haaretz also mentioned Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev who said his country has purchased over 5 billion USD worth of military equipment from Israel, and during the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Baku Aliyev highlighted the long-term military cooperation. According to foreign reports, Azerbaijan purchased radar and unmanned aircraft systems, as well as Israeli Tavor rifles from Israel.