The company's president, Avi Leumi, was quoted as saying that the decision followed a first string of test flights in July.

"We will resume the test flights in September," Leumi said. But at the same time, he added, "we will prepare a marketing effort to potential customers, mainly in the USA."

In July, the prototype of the Aeronautics Dominator-2 "Oz" unmanned air vehicle flew for the first time, according to Flight Global.

The Israeli firm had converted the DA42 into a UAV powered by two Thielert diesel engines. It can be equipped with a variety of payloads.

The Dominator-2 is built to carry a payload of 400 kilograms for 28 hours, with a line-of-sight range of 300 kilometers.

Developed in less than a year by the Yavne-based Israeli firm, the Dominator is a light commercial aircraft converted into a strategic, multi-mission UAV.

With a wingspan of 13.5 meters, it is designed to fly up to 190 knots per hour at altitudes of up to 30,000 feet.

"We are very careful to work within the limitations of MTCR (the Missile Technology Control Regime)," said Itay Sherman, director for marketing and communications. "This way, the Dominator we are able to offer high performance on a proven, existing airframe to as many customers as a possible around the world."

Sherman said the size, quality and endurance of the system "is designed from the outset to operate safely and in coordination with civil aviation authorities on a full spectrum of missions."

He estimated that over the next decade, the Dominator could generate "sums of $1 billion and above."

Leumi said the UAV was an important addition to the company's swelling portfolio of UAVs, which now span the spectrum of tactical support to long-endurance, strategic missions, according to Defense News.

In recent weeks the company has also unveiled another non-flying prototype based on a commercial helicopter by Dynali SA Helicopters of Belgium. Called Picador, the prototype is aimed at the ground and maritime defense market, Sherman said.

The event is an opportunity for industry to demonstrate to Army and government officials how the latest robotic technologies will support their operational needs by performing dangerous combat missions normally completed by soldiers.

Boeing Combat Systems is developing several robotic solutions designed to protect soldiers. One of them is the Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV) 300 series of robots, designed in partnership with iRobot. These robots can be equipped with cameras, sensors, computers and sophisticated software to perform basic reconnaissance, dispose of explosives and complete other tasks that greatly reduce risks to soldiers in the field.

Boeing and subcontractor Autonomous Solutions Inc. will also demonstrate semiautonomous navigation capabilities by using surrogate vehicles to simulate military convoy and route-clearance vehicles in war zones.

"We are looking forward to showcasing some of Boeing's work in ground robotics at this event, especially since the environmental conditions will be similar to those of combat zones in Afghanistan

Under a program launched this month, Pakistan's domestic version of the drone or unmanned aerial vehicle to be called Falco will be made in collaboration with Selex Galileo of Italy at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex in Kamra in Punjab province.

The Italian company is a leader in integrated sensor solutions and through-life capability management for defense systems and homeland security applications. It offers surveillance, protection, tracking, targeting, navigation & control and imaging systems.

Various Pakistani media reports quoted Air Marshal Farhat Husain Khan, chairman of the Kamra complex who presided at the launch ceremonies, as saying that the Falco would greatly enhance the air force's operational capability and help make Pakistan one of the few countries with the capability to make a modern tactical drone.

Husain Khan said it took engineers two years to set up the complex in Kamra, Dawn newspaper reported.

The UAV co-production facility is seen as a major step toward Pakistan's long-term goal of self-reliance in the military aviation industry.

"Falco is an advanced, tactical UAV designed by Selex Galileo Italy ... it would address current and future surveillance and reconnaissance needs of the Pakistan air force," an air force spokesman said, the Daily Times reported.

No precise date was given for the rollout of the Falco, but officials said it would be in the near future.

Initially, the Falco will only be able to provide reconnaissance and surveillance for the air force, as it may be large enough to carry both a missile and a targeting system. But future UAVs may be fitted with systems like laser-guided missiles for offensive purposes with outside help.

Pakistan has been asking for the drone technology from the United States. Missile attacks from suspected U.S. Predator drones have been especially effective in the fight against the Taliban in the tribal regions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

In one recent incident, a drone attack on Aug. 5 killed Baitullah Mehsud, the notorious leader of the Pakistani Taliban.

Pakistan's argument for seeking the technology is that its people strongly resent their territory being used for missile attacks on the militants by foreign forces from across the border in Afghanistan.

A statement issued after a recent meeting between Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and U.S. Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke said the drone attacks "have seriously impeded Pakistan's efforts towards rooting out militancy and terrorism from the area."

But the elimination of Baitullah Mehsud could help change that perception.

A U.S. counter-terrorism expert was quoted as telling Dawn: "With one blow, the Americans have killed Pakistan's greatest enemy in the tribal region," adding, "Even a full-fledged ground attack could not have achieved this target."

Whether the United States would part with its drone technology is not known. However, the Daily Times Thursday quoted U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia David Sedney as telling a private television channel that "the United States was working hard to provide to Pakistani security forces whatever they need to fight al-Qaida."

But the secretary also rejected any suggestion the United States may be under pressure from India not to give the drone technology to Pakistan, the report said.

Researchers at the Riken Center for Developmental Biology in Tokyo and Japan's Tokai Rubber Industries Ltd. named the robot Riba -- Robot for Interactive Body Assistance.

The scientists said Ribia makes use of the latest in sensor, control, information processing, mechanical and materials technology to become the first of its kind capable of safely lifting and moving a human patient of up to 134 pounds from a bed to a wheelchair and back.

Riken said the robot uses "human-like arms equipped with high-precision tactile sensors and a body encased in a soft exterior of urethane foam" in a design that "guarantees patient safety and comfort."

"As one part of a larger strategy to pursue advances in robot technology for care-giving support, the successful development of Riba marks a critical step toward tackling the problems of an aging society," Riken said in a statement. "The Riken-TRI Collaborative Center for Human-Interactive Robot Research, where Riba was developed, envisions bringing robots like Riba to market in the near future."

GPS VS aides the weapons guidance by providing proximity based on coordinates while maintaining pinpoint accuracy with laser guidance. While previous VS systems required the Hunter to be directly overhead, GPS VS offers the advantage of nearly six miles of stand-off range. GPS VS can also hone in on both moving and stationary targets.

The MQ-5B Hunter, which is currently deployed in contingency operations, provides warfighters with state-of-the-art reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA), communications relay, signal intelligence, and weapons delivery. Hunter recently surpassed 80,000 flight hours, 53,000 of which are combat-related.

"Once again, Northrop Grumman and the Army have proven just how adaptable Hunter is, which is why we call it the Army's workhorse," said Karl Purdy, Northrop Grumman Technical Services' Hunter program manager.

"The addition of this improved smart munition with a proven aerial platform is just one example of Hunter's flexibility and adaptability. We are committed to working shoulder to shoulder with our valued Army customer to continue to provide our nation's warfighters with world-class ISR and signals intelligence."

The RQ-5A Hunter was the Army's first fielded UAS. The MQ-5B is the next-generation Hunter, continuing a legacy of service to Army corps, division and brigade warfighters. Flying over the battlefield with its multi-mission optronic payload, the MQ-5B gathers RSTA information in real time and relays it via video link to commanders and soldiers on the ground.

The MQ-5B Hunter is distinguished by its heavy fuel engines, its "wet" (fuel-carrying) extended center wing with weapons-capable hard points and a modern avionics suite. The MQ-5B Hunter system uses the Army's One System ground control station and remote video terminal.

It also carries a communications relay package to extend the radio range of warfighters. A differential GPS automatic takeoff and landing system was recently fielded to the UAS Training Battalion in support of Hunter training.

"For more than a dozen years the Hunter Unmanned Aircraft System has been the most versatile tool in the Army UAS inventory, undergoing continual upgrades and improvements to meet the needs of the warfighter more effectively in several theaters of war," said Col. Greg Gonzalez, Project Manager for the Army's Unmanned Aircraft Systems.

"The integration of the GPS Viper Strike on the Hunter is the most recent example in a long list of rapid integration efforts made on that system to better support our soldiers in combat and give them the tools they need to succeed."

The MQ-5B features a robust, fixed-wing, twin tail-boom design with redundant control systems powered by two heavy fuel engines - one engine to "push" and another to "pull" the air vehicle. Another Hunter capability is its relay mode that allows one Hunter to be controlled by another UAV at extended ranges or over terrain obstacles typical of those found in the Balkans and Afghanistan.

Hunter's toughness and reliability are unmatched as it maintains an operational readiness rate over 95 percent in operational theaters. It is an ideal platform for spiral enhancements and technology refresh payloads. Recently Northrop Grumman integrated a new suite of avionics for Hunter, including upgraded flight and mission computers, an auxiliary power distribution unit, the LN-251 inertial navigation system with GPS, a downsized data link system, and an APX-118 IFF transponder.

The avionics suite improves performance

The Heron, which will support Australian deployed forces in Afghanistan under Project NANKEEN, will be operated by the Australian Royal Air Force and will provide a significant boost to the Australian Defence Force's (ADF) operational intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability in Afghanistan.

The Heron UAS will be the ADF's first MALE platform in Afghanistan. The Heron was selected after a comprehensive examination of available ISR systems. The Heron will be operational in early 2010 for a period of one year, with options for an additional two years.

Itzhak Nissan, President and CEO of IAI said: "IAI and MDA both contributed to supply the high quality UAS efficiently and to the customer's complete satisfaction. IAI regards the ADF to be an important and esteemed user. We are proud that the ADF has selected the Heron as its 'eyes in the skies' in Afghanistan".

Building on the previously announced successful Noctua Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) service for the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan, IAI and MDA will provide a similar complete turnkey operational UAV service under this new contract. The service will include complete operations, maintenance and logistical support to provide real-time, multi-sensor intelligence information directly to the theatre of operation.

Hunter, which has been in use with the Army since 1996, was originally designed using an External Pilot (EP) for take-offs and landings. Like a radio-controlled airplane, the EP required someone manually controlling Hunter during approach and landing as well as take-off. Using differential GPS, ATLS eliminates the need for an EP and allows Hunter to take-off and land automatically and do so precisely at pre-surveyed points on the runway.

The MQ-5B Hunter, which is currently deployed in contingency operations, provides warfighters with state-of-the-art reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA), communications relay, signal intelligence, and weapons delivery. Hunter recently surpassed 80,000 flight hours, 53,000 of which are combat-related.

"Our warfighters and their safety are top priorities at Northrop Grumman," said Bob Avery, Northrop Grumman Technical Services' ATLS program manager. "Take-off and landing tend to be the riskiest flight evolutions for Hunter. Not only does ATLS significantly reduce such risks - keeping the nation's warfighters safe - it also reduces manpower requirements and operator workload."

Northrop Grumman's Hunter team also recently received a $39 million follow on to the Army's Combine Base Rotation effort to continue to support Army Hunter units in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The RQ-5A Hunter was the Army's first fielded UAS. The MQ-5B is the next-generation Hunter, continuing a legacy of service to Army corps, division and brigade warfighters. Flying over the battlefield with its multi-mission optronic payload, the MQ-5B gathers RSTA information in real time and relays it via video link to commanders and soldiers on the ground.

The MQ-5B Hunter is distinguished by its heavy fuel engines, its "wet" (fuel-carrying) extended center wing with weapons-capable hard points and a modern avionics suite. The MQ-5B Hunter system uses the Army's One System ground control station and remote video terminal. It also carries a communications relay package to extend the radio range of warfighters.

"Each day and each new innovation further demonstrate the adaptability of the Hunter UAS," said Karl Purdy, Northrop Grumman Technical Services' Hunter program manager. "We're always looking for ways to make Hunter a better platform for our warfighters, and ATLS does just that with the added bonus of reduced risk."

The MQ-5B features a robust, fixed-wing, twin tail-boom design with redundant control systems powered by two heavy fuel engines - one engine to "push" and another to "pull" the air vehicle. Another Hunter capability is its relay mode that allows one Hunter to be controlled by another UAV at extended ranges or over terrain obstacles typical of those found in the Balkans and Afghanistan.

Hunter's toughness and reliability are unmatched as it maintains an operational readiness rate over 95 percent in operational theaters. It is an ideal platform for spiral enhancements and technology

These highly maneuverable unmanned surface vehicles, operated by remote control from land stations, can carry out a wide range of missions, such as patrolling coastal waters to counter gun-running and infiltration with less prospect of being detected than the much larger manned vessels.

"There are areas that the navy preferred to first enter in an unmanned capacity before a manned capacity," a senior navy officer told The Jerusalem Post Sunday in reference to the Gaza and Lebanon sectors.

The Protector, built by Rafael Advanced Systems Ltd., is one of the new systems acquired by the navy. It can carry a wide range of payloads, including cameras, sensors and weapons.

These new craft are making Israel one of the global leaders in the development and combat deployment of unmanned systems in the air, on the land and now at sea.

Israel's defense industry recently announced the development of an unmanned land vehicle for carrying supplies in combat zones.

Elbit Systems will be displaying a newly developed land robot, the Beagle, at the Association of the United States Army defense exhibition in Washington.

The Beagle is self-navigating and can avoid obstacles and climb stairs. Its extendable arm can lift up to 4.5 pounds and carry a wide variety of payloads.

But it is in the air that Israeli expertise in the unmanned vehicle sector is most widely seen.

Elbit will be also be displaying for the first time at the Washington exhibition its Hermes 90 long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle, which can remain aloft for up to 18 hours and has a range of up to 62 miles.

Poland is currently considering buying Israeli UAVs to support its forces deployed in Afghanistan.

"We're going to buy a whole range of drones, from short to medium range," Defense Minister Bogdan Klich told Jane's Defense Weekly in August.

He comments followed Warsaw's Aug. 11 announcement that Poland would create a backup force of 200 troops for its 2,000-man contingent currently serving with NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

Elbit announced Sunday that it opened an office in Baku, capital of the oil-rich former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan where Israeli influence is growing. Israel is a major buyer of Azeri oil from the Caspian Basin.

Elbit is currently working on UAV projects with the Azeri Defense Ministry, whose budget this year was increased to $2.5 billion.

According to Azeri media, Israel defense contractor Aeronautics Defense Systems will construct a factory to help the Azeris build UAVs and satellites.

The company's chief executive officer, Avi Leumi, accompanied Israeli President Shimon Peres when he visited Baku in June.

More than 300 employees from Northrop Grumman and DS and officials from the German Air Force and Ministry of Defence (MoD) gathered today for the ceremony, which concluded in a dramatic curtain drop revealing the distinctively different aircraft that will be equipped with German sensors.

"This Euro Hawk is testament to great collaboration between two companies, two countries and many, many people," said Duke Dufresne, sector vice president and general manager of the Strike and Surveillance Systems Division for Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems sector. "Established as a 50-50 joint venture between Northrop Grumman and DS, the EuroHawk GmbH team which oversees the program has set a precedent in international relations for Northrop Grumman."

Based on the Block 20 Global Hawk, Euro Hawk will be equipped with new signal intelligence (SIGINT) mission system developed by DS. A ground station consisting of a mission control and launch and recovery elements will be provided by Northrop Grumman. DS will also provide a SIGINT ground station, which will receive and analyze the data from Euro Hawk as part of an integrated system solution.

"The SIGINT system provides standoff capability to detect electronic and communications emitters," said Nicolas Chamussy, senior vice president of Mission Air Systems for DS. "Thanks to our outstanding partnership with Northrop Grumman, the German Armed Forces will be able to independently cover their needs for SIGINT data collection and analysis, thus contributing to NATO, EU and UN peacekeeping operations."

The ceremony also included remarks by Ruediger Knopfel, deputy branch chief of Fixed Wing Aircraft for the German MoD; Gen. Hermann Muntz, director of Air Force Armaments and deputy commander for the German Air Force Weapon Systems Command; and Col. Volker Saueressig, division chief IMINT for Strategic Reconnaissance Command.

With a wingspan larger than a commercial airliner and endurance of 30 hours, Euro Hawk is an interoperable, modular and cost-effective replacement to the aging fleet of manned Breguet Atlantic aircraft, which have been in service since 1972 and will be retired in 2010. Subsequent systems are anticipated for delivery between 2016 and 2017 following successful testing and introduction in German operational service in 2011.

On Jan. 31, 2007, the German MoD awarded a $559 million contract to EuroHawk GmbH for the development, test and support of the Euro Hawk SIGINT system.

"Under this contract, EuroHawk GmbH will also provide aircraft modifications, mission control and launch and recovery ground segments, flight test and logistics support and will act as the national prime contractor for the German MoD through the entire lifecycle of the Euro Hawk," said Heinz-Juergen Rommel, chief executive officer of the EuroHawk GmbH. DS is a systems solutions provider for armed forces and civil security worldwide.

Its portfolio ranges from sensors and secure networks through missiles to aircraft and UAVs as well as global security, service and support solutions. EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2008, EADS employed a workforce of about 118,000.

French Defense Ministry spokesman Laurent Teisseire said experts were "verifying the conditions of the six UAV Sperwers bought from Canada to assess their operating conditions," Avionews reported.

France is already using four of these aircraft in operations in Afghanistan.

Teisseire also acknowledged that France was in talks for the purchase of a fourth SIDM interim medium altitude long-endurance UAV.

"We are in the process of buying a fourth SIDM," Teisseire told French media. Three of the French Air Force's SIDMs are built by EADS. One of the aircraft was damaged while flying in Afghanistan earlier this year.

It is currently undergoing maintenance operations in Mont de Marsan in central France, and expected to be back into service in 2010 with the induction of the new UAV.

The Air Force calls the SIDM "Harfang," or "Snow Owl."

France's fourth SIDM is also expected to be deployed by next year and used for training.

As for the UAVs, Teisseire told French media that the purchase of six SDTI from Canada had been completed.

"They are already on the ground," he was quoted as saying by Defense News.

The report said Safran group's Sagem had delivered 18 Sperwer aircraft and four launch systems in 2004, and additional three more were ordered in June.

The French defense spokesman also did not deny that France was in negotiations to purchase Reaper UAVs from General Atomics, a U.S. based company specializing in harnessing the power of nuclear technologies and development of remotely operated surveillance aircraft, airborne sensors and advanced electric, electronic, wireless and laser technologies.

"All options are being studied for acquisition of medium-altitude, long-endurance UAVs beyond 2015," Teisseire said.

The French services are gathering information from operating the existing UAV fleet and will capitalize on the lessons learned, Teisseire said, according to Defense News.

For the MALE segment, it added, Thales and Dassault Aviation have joined forces with Indra to offer "the SDM, based on the Heron TP from Israel Aircraft Industries, while EADS has completed a risk reduction study on the Talarion, a jet-powered UAV."

It is estimated that France's development share for Talarion will be about $672 million.

The French newsletter AeroDefense News quoted EADS senior vice President Nicolas Chamussy as saying that the recurring costs were forecast between 90 million and 100 million euros ($134.15 million to $149 million) , based on three air vehicles, the payload and ground station.

"We successfully demonstrated the capability of our aerial surveillance aircraft and are very pleased with the SkyEye 350's performance," said Michael D. Long, director of international sales for Aerial Surveillance Systems.

"Our team is now focusing on the next development phases and demonstrations, in order to provide this critical capability to our Warfighters as soon as possible."

FLIR Systems' BRITE Star II was selected to be the electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) targeting sensor for the SkyEye 350. The BRITE Star II is the latest generation of the combat-proven laser designation system. Its range performance, sensor combination, and program record make it the low-risk choice for reliable, long-range target designation.

With a 100% duty cycle, diode-pumped laser rangefinder/designator and in-flight boresighting, the system is capable of being the eyes for any fixed-wing aircraft, helicopter or unmanned aerial vehicle. The BRITE Star II is currently fielded on the MQ-8B Fire Scout Vertical Takeoff and Landing Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and the UH-1Y utility helicopter.

The specially modified EO/IR sensor package will capture stabilized high-magnification images that allow the SkyEye 350 to provide a wide range of low-medium-high-altitude tactical missions and long-range covert surveillance operation capabilities.

FLIR Systems has more than 3,600 sensors in operation today, on over 100 different types of fixed-wing aircraft, helicopter, unmanned aerial vehicle and ship platforms in more than 75 countries around the world.

The SkyEye 350 is the most technologically advanced aerial surveillance platform in the world at its cost point. The aircraft is being offered at as a turnkey, COTS, user-friendly, exportable platform to the US DoD, international and foreign government

REX, which can carry up to 200 kilograms, is designed to assist groups of 3-10 ground soldiers on operational and logistical missions for up to 72 hours without refueling, and acts as a robotic "beast of burden" for the modern soldier.

Experts at IAI estimate that the demand for such a product could amount to tens of thousands of orders, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, in both the local and the international market, for a wide variety of military and civil applications.

"The REX platform is unique in its state-of-the-art operational capabilities and its user-friendly interface, both of which are central to the platform's superior performance," explained Ofer Glazer, head of innovation at IAI.

"The robotic vehicle follows the lead soldier from a given distance, utilizing technology developed and patented by IAI. Using simple commands, including 'stop', 'fetch', and 'heel', the lead soldier controls the robot without being distracted from the mission at hand. Controlling the robot in this way allows for intuitive interaction and rapid integration of the product on the field within a short time frame," Glazer added.

The development of the system is a result of IAI's awareness of the urgent operational need for such a device. It integrates various already existent robotic capabilities, ensuring a low target price, a short development period, and low-risk development.

REX was developed in the business and technological innovation department of IAI. This is a diverse department, composed of a team of young, dynamic entrepreneurs responsible for developing products in the newest fields of interest.

The team utilizes creative thinking and academic and industry-based joint projects, both in Israel and worldwide, to lead IAI in the achievement of many important milestones. One such joint project has resulted in the Guardium - a robotic patrol vehicle (produced by the company GNIUS); another example is the Taxibot, a semi-robotic aircraft towing system.

IAI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the 2009 Paris Air Show to jointly develop Taxibot with Airbus, the largest aircraft company in Europe.

"Arrested landings, catapult launches, high winds, pitching deck, subsonic speeds, you name it - the operating environment of the carrier air wing is unforgiving," said Scott Winship, vice president and program manager of the Navy UCAS program for Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems sector. "The X-47B was built for these conditions, and as the results of the rigorous proof test show, the design of the aircraft is structurally sound for all aspects of carrier operations."

Conducted over a two-month period with NAVAIR involvement and oversight, the first X-47B underwent a series of progressive structural, functional proof and calibration tests to verify the integrity of all flight control surfaces, major structural load paths, main landing gear structure and tailhook assembly.

According to Northrop Grumman's air vehicle integrated product team lead, Tom Soard, "Past experience in the Navy shows these tests are the only way to verify the design and the tools used to estimate the load paths. This test proved that our latest finite element models are indeed very accurate. The results match our predictions very well."

To conduct the tests, over 200 electro-hydraulic assemblies were attached to the major components of the X-47B. Pressure was applied to simulate aircraft flight conditions. Each test condition was reviewed and the results approved by the X-47B airframe team before the next series of tests were initiated.

Reported results confirm that the X-47B meets the design requirements outlined by the U.S. Navy for a jet-powered, fighter-sized aircraft to demonstrate autonomous launches and recoveries from a carrier.

The X-47B aircraft, now designated with Navy Bureau Number 168063, will undergo engine integration and taxi tests through the fall in preparation for first flight and carrier trials. The second aircraft is currently being assembled and will begin proof load tests later this year.

On schedule and cost, the Northrop Grumman UCAS-D program is committed to maturing critical technologies, reducing unmanned air system carrier integration risks and providing necessary information to the U.S. Navy for a potential follow-on acquisition in support of the Naval Aviation Master Plan. The period of performance for the UCAS-D contract is through 2013.

All told the state-run company, flagship of Israel's defense industry, will provide 14 drones over several years, three of them by April 2010.

The deal comes amid a big surge in sales of Israeli UAVs worldwide, particularly with nations providing military forces in Afghanistan where UAVs have become a major component in the war against the Taliban and their jihadist allies.

The Brazilian contract, signed during a visit to Rio de Janiero by Israeli President Shimon Peres, marks a major Israeli move into that key South American market.

It coincides with reports that Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, one of the Jewish state's major defense companies, is in an advanced stage of negotiations to acquire a Brazilian defense firm valued at an estimated $50 million.

It would be Israel's first corporate acquisition in Brazil, Latin America's economic powerhouse, and give Rafael an opening to expand its operations there.

Senior executives of Rafael, Elbit Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries accompanied Peres on his visit to Brazil.

Elbit is the largest Israeli defense company operating in Brazil, with sales of $750 million over the last decade. IAI has established a joint venture with Brazil's Synergy Group, whose products include UAVs.

Israel's UAVs now rival America's in the skies over war-torn Afghanistan as NATO and allied forces increasingly turn to them for gathering intelligence on the Taliban.

Germany recently acquired several of IAI's Heron aircraft, the fifth allied nation with troops in Afghanistan to use Israeli UAVs. The others are Canada, Australia, France and Britain.

All told, foreign militaries have bought 40 Israeli UAVs of different types in recent years, and the market continues to expand as advanced technologies become available and UAVs acquire new capabilities and missions.

The Israeli UAVs, widely used in the Jewish state's conflicts in the Middle East, are combat-proven and have found new markets because of a shortage of U.S. Predators, the main U.S. system employed in the Afghanistan-Pakistan theater of operations.

The missions include airstrikes using UAVs armed with air-to-ground Hellfire missiles to hit al-Qaida and Taliban leadership cadres, a tactic that has in the last 18 months killed at least a dozen top field commanders.

The Herons, equipped with 1,200-horsepower engines, can stay aloft for 52 hours at a stretch and have wide-ranging tracking and targeting capabilities.

Laser weapons are seen by industry analysts as a major step toward a more effective -- and more cost-effective -- deterrent to enemy threats from the air. Laser weapons can be fired at enemy targets without any apparent risk to human crews involved. However, most defense laser technologies are still many stages behind fictional depictions of laser weapons in Hollywood films.

Boeing units in Albuquerque and St. Louis, as well as the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army and Naval Air Warfare Center in China Lake, Calif., took part in the tests to advance the feasibility of lasers in warfare.

The Boeing Co. said its tests demonstrated the ability of mobile laser weapon systems to track and destroy small unmanned aerial vehicles -- until then a unique mission.

During the U.S. Air Force-sponsored tests at the Naval Air Warfare Center in China Lake, the mobile weapon, called the Mobile Active Targeting Resource for Integrated Experiments, took part in the tests.

MATRIX was developed by Boeing under contract to the Air Force Research Laboratory. It is a mobile, trailer-mounted test bed that integrates with existing test-range radar. MATRIX used a single, high-brightness laser beam to shoot down five UAVs at various ranges. The sixth aircraft was shot down by Laser Avenger, a Boeing-funded initiative. Representatives of the Air Force and Army watched the tests.?

"The Air Force and Boeing achieved a directed-energy breakthrough with these tests," said Gary Fitzmire, vice president and program director of Boeing Missile Defense Systems' Directed Energy Systems unit. Industry analysts said the potency of the laser beam was one of the issues being worked on before the tests.

Boeing indicated the tests allowed for powerful laser beams to home in on and destroy the intended targets. "MATRIX's performance is especially noteworthy because it demonstrated unprecedented, ultra-precise and lethal acquisition, pointing and tracking at long ranges using relatively low laser power," said Fitzmire.

As warfare becomes technologically advanced there is support on all sides for developing technologies that involve less and less of the human resource that is considered most politically sensitive, analysts said.

Wars that are fought with minimum human input from members of a nation's armed forces are seen less likely to be controversial than conflicts that involve greater human input, as with ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, analysts said.

?Bill Baker, chief scientist of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Directed Energy Directorate, praised his team and Boeing for the successful UAV shootdowns.

?"These tests validate the use of directed energy to negate potential hostile threats against the homeland," Baker said. "The team effort of Boeing and the Air Force in developing MATRIX will pay major dividends for the warfighter now and in the years ahead," he added.

As part of the overall counter-UAV demonstration, Boeing also successfully test-fired a lightweight 25mm machine gun from the Laser Avenger platform to potentially increase the capability against UAV threats. This test falls into the category of a hybrid, combining laser with conventional methods.

Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, a unit of The Boeing Co. with headquarters in St. Louis, is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses and a versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. It is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.

Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul said this week that he had sent a letter to Israel Aerospace Industries and Israel's Elbit defense contractor insisting that the unmanned aerial vehicles be delivered by the end of the year.

"If this letter does not bear fruit either, then the tender may be canceled," the minister told CNN Turk. "There is no cancellation at the moment," he added.

Turkey awarded the contract four years ago. It entails the purchase of 10 drones known as Herons from their manufacturers, Israel Aerospace Industries and Elbit.

The contract deadline was initially set at between 24 and 30 months. But both contractors missed the first date, also breaching another deadline for the delivery of four Herons in August. Under the revised deal, delivery of another two drones would have followed, plus the last four by the end of October.

The deal is estimated at $185 million.

Turkey's Zaman newspaper reported recently that Israel was set to make good on its arms contract, pledging to deliver the weapons by the end of the year.

But should Turkey fail, the deal may be canceled and Ankara may demand punitive damages.

"Turkey plans to impose a heavy monetary penalty on Israel for the delay," a senior Turkish official was quoted saying in the Zaman report. "If this country refuses to comply with the penalty, then Turkey will head to the International Court of Commercial Arbitration," he added, saying that the penalty could range between $3 million and $4 million.

Turkey recently returned two drones because of what military officials called their lagging performance.

The military brass there sanctioned the Israeli purchase after the United States refused to sell it similar equipment for fear of them being used against Kurdish rebels.

Both nations have since then traded accusations as to the source of the blame for the drone delay.

Specifically, Israeli companies have complained that the Turkish go-between contractor, Aslan, was responsible because of problems in the camera it had been ordered to fit on the drones.

According to Israel's Haaretz daily, "The camera was too heavy and prevented the drone from reaching an altitude of 30,000 feet in keeping with the project prospectus."

Turkish counterclaims, however, accuse the Israeli contractors of raising technical excuses to "avoid fine for violating the agreement," Haaretz said.

Relations between Ankara and Jerusalem have been strained since the Gaza War, with Turkey accusing Israel of waging war crimes in its offensive. The rancor reached a peak during a public debate between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Israeli President Shimon Peres.

After both leaders traded insults, Erdogan angrily stormed offstage in response.

The strained relations have also taken a toll on the two countries' military alliance.

Last month, for example, Turkey prevented Israel from joining a NATO-alliance military exercise that was ultimately canceled due to Israel's exclusion.

During the U.S. Air Force-sponsored tests at the Naval Air Warfare Center in China Lake, Calif., the Mobile Active Targeting Resource for Integrated eXperiments (MATRIX), which was developed by Boeing under contract to the Air Force Research Laboratory, used a single, high-brightness laser beam to shoot down five UAVs at various ranges.

Laser Avenger, a Boeing-funded initiative, also shot down a UAV. Representatives of the Air Force and Army observed the tests.

"The Air Force and Boeing achieved a directed-energy breakthrough with these tests," said Gary Fitzmire, vice president and program director of Boeing Missile Defense Systems' Directed Energy Systems unit.

"MATRIX's performance is especially noteworthy because it demonstrated unprecedented, ultra-precise and lethal acquisition, pointing and tracking at long ranges using relatively low laser power."

Bill Baker, chief scientist of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Directed Energy Directorate, praised his team and Boeing for these successful UAV shootdowns.

"These tests validate the use of directed energy to negate potential hostile threats against the homeland," Baker said.

"The team effort of Boeing and the Air Force in developing MATRIX will pay major dividends for the warfighter now and in the years ahead."

As part of the overall counter-UAV demonstration, Boeing also successfully test-fired a lightweight 25mm machine gun from the Laser Avenger platform to potentially further the hybrid directed energy/kinetic energy capability against UAV threats.

Russia has not been able to produce an effective UAV, a weakness exposed during its brief 2008 conflict with Georgia, and it has made no secret of the fact that it wants to reverse-engineer the Israeli craft to fast-track production.

Moscow bought 12 Israeli UAVs under a $53 million deal signed in April with state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries, but not disclosed until June. These comprise IAI's second-tier craft, the Bird-Eye 400 mini-UAV, the I-View MK 150 tactical UAV and the Searcher Mark 2 medium-range UAV.

That was Israel's first sale of military platforms to Russia. It was also Russia's first purchase of a foreign weapons system.

Israeli defense sources say that the new deal under negotiation with IAI involved improved surveillance equipment. IAI declined comment, but one Israeli sources noted: "The Russians are going for a triple upgrade of their fleet and its capabilities."

According to other sources, Russia wants 50 Israeli UAVs, particularly long-endurance craft.

That likely includes IAI's Heron, the largest Israeli surveillance drone with a 54-foot wingspan. It has the ability to stay aloft for 50 hours at a time at an altitude of 30,000 feet. It can also carry missiles and can be refueled in flight from tanker aircraft.

It was Georgia's use of long-endurance Hermes 450 tactical spy drones, built by Israel's Elbit Systems, to provide battlefield reconnaissance in the 2008 fighting that caught Moscow's interest.

The Russians, who had to rely on the less effective Tu-22 strategic bombers for battlefield intelligence, decided to acquire Israeli craft for the purpose of studying them and reproducing them in Russia.

The Russians have been building unmanned aircraft for several decades, but never achieved the degree of success of U.S. and Israeli companies. Their craft have only a fraction of the flight duration of the Israeli UAVs and have long had reliability problems.

Following the Georgia conflict, the Russian air force launched several UAV projects, with the objective of having operational systems by 2011. But Russian defense contractors, including the state-owned Ikut aircraft manufacturer and the Vega Radio Engineering Corp., were unable to come up with systems that met the air force's requirements.

According to various estimates, the Russians need at least 100 UAVs and at least 10 guidance systems to provide the battlefield surveillance the military needs.

In the first UAV sale to Russia in June, the Israelis withheld the most advanced UAV variants after several Russian officials publicly stated that the main reason they wanted the UAVs was to purloin their technology.

But the Israelis understood that it was vital to be able to influence Moscow, Iran's main arms supplier, to block the delivery of S-300PMU air-defense missiles to the Islamic Republic.

It wants the advanced system to protect its nuclear facilities from threatened Israeli airstrikes.

Indeed, in 2008 Gen. Amos Gilad, head of the Israeli Defense Ministry's Diplomatic Security Bureau, visited Moscow and received assurances that Russia would not provide S-300s to Iran or MiG-31 interceptor jets to Syria.

Iranian leaders have been complaining vociferously about Moscow's refusal to honor an $800 million contract for five S-300 batteries signed in 2007 as tension between the United States and Iran swelled once more over Tehran's nuclear program, raising the prospect of unilateral Israeli military action.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu secretly flew to Moscow several weeks ago to press President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin not to send S-300s to Iran and was reportedly given renewed assurances they would not.

"The UAV sale/technology theft was basically a bribe to ensure that the Russians did not equip Iran with better anti-aircraft missiles," according to one Western analyst.

"Letting Russia steal UAV technology has suddenly become more important than keeping Iran or Syria down."

The Hermes 900 is based on the successful track record of the Hermes 450, that has accumulated over 170,000 flight hours and is one of less than handful of UAVs in the world to cross the 100,000 operational flight hour's barrier.

The new Hermes 900 offers additional key capabilities, such as longer endurance, flight altitude of more than 30,000 ft, large payload capacity (up to 300kg), modular design allowing fast payload replacement and flight capabilities in adverse weather conditions.

Hermes 900 offers an advanced satellite communication channel and is operated from Elbit Systems' universal command control ground station (UGCS), enabling advanced mission management, automatic taxiing, autonomous flight and automatic takeoff and landing systems common to all the UAVs and in the Hermes family.

The Hermes 900 also includes innovative avionics and electronic systems and a silent engine, as well as systems required for flight in a combined civil and unmanned aviation area. The new UAV offers additional cutting edge technologies and applications such as electro-optic systems, laser designators and electronic intelligence sensors (ELINT, COMINT).

Haim Kellerman, Co-General Manager of Elbit Systems UAS Division, noted that the Hermes 900 broadens out the Elbit Systems UAS portfolio, offering customers a variety of mission capabilities, from the mini-UAV system designed for the soldier level, through battalion-level UAVs, and up to higher chains of command for both Armies and Air Forces.

The operational experience accumulated by the Hermes systems for the Israeli Defense Forces and other leading armies worldwide, as well as the ongoing improvements based on its operational track record, have maintained this UAV family's leadership in performance, reliability, variety of mission-oriented payloads and more.

Kellerman further noted that the fact that the Hermes 900 builds on existing applications and similar infrastructure of the Hermes 450, allows Elbit Systems to transfer the new UAV directly into serial production. Elbit Systems is enhancing its production abilities in order to meet the growing demand of this new addition to the Hermes UAV family.

The newspaper said the prospect of Predator aircraft strikes in Quetta signals a new US resolve to decapitate the Taliban. But it also risks rupturing Washington's relationship with Islamabad.

The concern has created tension among officials in the administration of President Barack Obama over whether unmanned aircraft strikes in a city of 850,000 are a realistic option, the paper said.

Proponents, including some military leaders, argue that attacking the Taliban in Quetta -- or at least threatening to do so -- is critical to the success of the revised war strategy President Obama unveiled last week, The Times said.

"If we don't do this -- at least have a real discussion of it -- Pakistan might not think we are serious," the paper quoted an unnamed senior US official as saying. "What the Pakistanis have to do is tell the Taliban that there is too much pressure from the US; we can't allow you to have sanctuary inside Pakistan anymore."

But others, including high-ranking US intelligence officials, have been more skeptical of employing drone attacks in a place that Pakistanis see as part of their country's core, the report said.

According to The Times, Pakistani officials have also warned that the fallout would be severe.

"We are not a banana republic," The Times quotes a senior Pakistani official as saying. If the United States

Elbit announced on Tuesday that its Hermes 900 had successfully completed its maiden flight and would enter production following additional flight tests.

The UAV is based on Elbit's highly successful Hermes 450 model, which has accumulated 170,000 flight hours.

The 450 is the primary UAV deployed by the Israeli military, and at least 20 of them were in action daily during the 34-day war with Lebanon's Hezbollah in July-August 2006.

The 900 model is essentially a stretched and bulked-up 450, a 992-pound craft that was designed to carry two AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles, the weapons systems used by U.S. UAVs targeting al-Qaida and Taliban chieftains in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The 900 is similar in appearance to the U.S. MQ-1 Predator, which carries out most of the attacks in the AFPAK theater of operation. Both weigh around 1 ton.

The Hermes 900 is designed primarily for endurance and for the first time gives the Israeli armed forces a long-range drone that can conduct surveillance flights over hostile territory as distant as Iran, some 950 miles.

However, to do that would mean overflying Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and possibly Turkey, and risk political problems with those states.

If such flights were undertaken, the new 900's primary mission would undoubtedly be spying out air-defense systems around Iran's nuclear facilities, the primary target for threatened Israeli airstrikes, supplementing intelligence from Israeli spy satellites.

The UAV's attack potential could also prove useful in the event Israel does launch pre-emptive strikes to knock out Iranian nuclear sites and other strategic targets.

It could hit air-defense systems ahead of attacks by the Israeli air force's F-16I and F-15I strike jets, reducing the risk of Israeli pilots being shot down over hostile territory. The last time that happened was when an F-4 Phantom went down over south Lebanon on Oct. 16, 1986.

The new Hermes can stay in the air for 36 hours -- 16 more than the 450 -- with a payload of 650 pounds, enough to give it considerable loiter time over Iran.

It has a cruising speed of around 80 miles an hour, can fly as high as 30,000 feet and has satellite communications capability.

It also uses innovative avionics, operates silently, which allows for missions over urban areas, and carried high-tech systems such as electro-optic imaging, a laser designator that can be used to "paint" ground targets for aircraft, and electronic intelligence sensors.

The Israeli air force, which operates the 450, has not yet acquired any of the new 900s, although it recently bought the Heron UAV manufactured by state-run Israel Aerospace Industries. That can remain airborne for more than 30 hours with a cruising altitude of 30,000 feet.

Meantime, there were reports that Israel's first unmanned stealth naval craft, designated Protector SV but known as the Death Shark, has been deployed in the Gulf region, able to cruise underwater off Iran for long periods.

Operated from a surface ship or a shore base, the 27-foot craft reportedly carries a Close-In Weapons System for detecting and engaging anti-ship missiles and aircraft, as well as torpedoes and electronic jamming gear.

It also carries four cameras with the resolution of satellite imaging systems as well as sonar and radar systems that can transmit three-dimensional images to its control base.