Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 39: To ask the Minister for Defence if he will make a statement on the purchase by the Defence Forces of drones from the Israeli army. [22094/07]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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An order for two (2) man portable mini Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, commonly referred to as UAVs, was placed with Aeronautics Defence Systems Limited from Israel, in May 2007. The value of the order is in the region of €780,000, inclusive of VAT. The award of the contract followed on from a two stage tender competition in which eight proposals were initially received and three tenders subsequently evaluated by a Military Board in the first quarter of 2007. Delivery of the UAV systems is expected by the end of 2007.

The UAV systems are required to enhance the capability of the Defence Forces to carry out surveillance and target acquisition for overseas Peace Support Operations and provide low cost, low risk means to increase capabilities and enhance force protection by performing missions which do not demand the use of manned aircraft. The UAVs, will, in effect, be an information-gathering asset. It should be stressed that the UAVs which the Defence Forces are acquiring are unarmed.

The UAVs will also be able to carry out suitable tasks at home in an Aid to the Civil Power or Aid to the Civil Authority environment such as environmental inspections and the undertaking of reconnaissance missions, which may avoid unnecessary exposure of Defence Force personnel to risk.