German armed UAV plans spiked by parliament
The German parliament has voted to reject a motion to purchase armed drones for the country’s armed forces, it confirmed in a 20 December statement.
Tabled by the liberal leaning Free Democratic Party, the motion had called on the federal government to procure or lease armed UAVs as soon as possible, to act in support of combat and reconnaissance aircraft.
The decision mainly disrupts Germany’s Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) contracted Heron TP programme, where military leaders are known to want to add an armed capability for overseas missions in Mali. That position has been strongly and consistently opposed by The Left
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