Israeli manufacturers will have to form joint ventures to enjoy the European Countries hunger for UAV
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East European militaries are increasingly deploying UAVs, with governments planning acquisitions and local defense companies developing systems to bid against Western manufacturers.
Poland’s ongoing 139 billion zloty (US$37 billion) military modernization program for 2013 to 2022 includes the purchase of a wide range of combat and reconnaissance drones, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2016, according to the Defence Ministry’s strategic document. In July, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said that acquiring a fleet of combat UAVs is a procurement priority.
Warsaw has established two programs for its drone acquisitions. The first one, which foresees the purchase of short-range reconnaissance UAVs, will be awarded to local defense companies, according to Siemoniak.
“We want to allocate this order to the Polish defense industry, because we believe there is sufficient potential in Poland to manufacture small reconnaissance drones. This is why we are not looking for increased [foreign] competition,” Siemoniak told local broadcaster Polskie Radio Trojka on July 15.
Local manufacturers of such UAVs include privately owned WB Electronics. Its FlyEye drone is enabled with a maximum speed of 170 kmh and can operate at a maximum altitude of four kilometers above sea level, according to data released by the manufacturer.
Under Poland’s second drone program, estimated to be worth at least “several billion zloty,” the military will acquire larger combat UAVs either from the US or Israel, according to senior ministry officials. In total, the Defence Ministry is aiming to purchase 350 drones.
Deliveries of the combat-enabled, middle-range drones, which will be purchased under the procurement programs called Gryf and Zefir, are expected to begin in 2017 and 2019, respectively, according to data from the Polish ministry.
According to Defense News , the plan to divide the drone procurement into two programs, the first directed toward locally made UAVs and the other including acquisition of foreign UAVs, has been criticized by some observers and media. According to the critics, the ministry will purchase the least expensive type of drones from Poland-based manufacturers but use the majority of the funds to buy UAVs from foreign producers.
However, analysts said the government could try to include local defense companies in both procurements even if the combat UAVs are purchased from foreign suppliers.
“Israeli and US manufacturers have significant experience in the manufacturing of combat drones, they have the necessary know-how,” an analyst from a government-run think tank in Warsaw said. “But Polish defense companies (…) could become involved in the manufacturing of related communication systems and other relevant equipment.”
