MTCR – Out Of Touch With Reality

This post is also available in: עברית (Hebrew)

By ARIE EGOZI

The world is changing fast and some agreements that looked appropriate in the past are no longer valid.

One good example is the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) should be changed to something like “The long range platform technology control regime” or LRPTCR. The acronym is not important. What is important is the adaption of the reality to many kinds of control efforts.

Unmanned air vehicles, or in their most recent name unmanned air systems, are changing the reality that lead to the original MTCR.

Israel, leading manufacturer of UAVs, is affected by outdated agreements.

Israel has not officially joined the MTCR but because of its “special relations” with the US,  is adhering to its limitations.

It is already obvious that with some large long endurance UAVs the Israeli ministry of defence will have to get approval for every export deal from Washington. And based on past experience, when Israel planned to export “strategic” systems the US administration made angry voices and sometimes became even aggressive.

The issue was brought to the discussion table in the defence ministry due to the development of some very big UAVs with long endurance and long range.

One is the Dominator-2 developed by Aeronautics based on the Diamond DA-42 twin engine aircraft, and the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Heron TP.

The aim of the MTCR is to restrict the proliferation of missiles, complete rocket systems, unmanned air vehicles, and related technology for those systems capable of carrying a 500 kilogram payload to a range of 300 kilometers, as well as systems intended for the delivery of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

I’m not sure the acronym will change but the substance will have to. The fast progress of the technologies, is simply forcing it and Israel as a UAV “Super Power” accelerates the process.