General Atomics Aeronautical System of USA Getting Involved in Introduction Program of UAV for Surveillance of NWI / NLL Competing Israeli Companies.

For the recent 2014 Brazil world cup, the government of Brazil has done some hard work for public order and counter terrorism, deploying armored vehicles and armed polices. Also not seen, though Brazilian Air force has also gave support to do this, deploying their UAV, Hermes 900 of Israeli company, Elbit. Right behind USA, Israel is second most developed country regarding their ability of making Unmanned vehicles.

MQ-1 Predator is the typical and most widely known UAV in the world, implementing various mission in Iraq-Afghan war for more than 10 years, also attacking Al-Qaeda and Taliban.

These worldwide recognized UAVs are participating ' Corps-class UAV Ability Enhancement Program' ongoing in Korea, handing in their proposals to ROK armed forces. This program is there to enhance the ability of surveillance and guarding DPRK armed forces near NWI (northwest Islands) and NLL (northern limit line) on western sea.

Currently, the Korean armed forces owns / operates Israeli UAV 'Searcher' of IAI and Indigenous 'Songgolmae (pergegrine falcon)' UAV, though it lacks of long-time reconnaissance ability so that ROK armed forces has started 'MALE UAV emergency introduction program' since 2012. ADD (Agency of Defense Development) is already developing Korean MALE based on KUS-15, though it will take few years so that ROK armed forces is currently conducting this emergency introduction program to keep NWI and NLL safe.

In the end of application of proposal in last June, an unexpected event occurred. Israel and USA, the two prominent countries regarding UAV technologies have participated in this UAV program purchasing 4 MALE UAVs for ₩ 300 billion. This is the first time in ROK UAV introduction program that both American and Israeli companies participated. The competing companies and their models are Predator XP of GAAS, Hermes 900 of Elbit and Heron-1 of IAI.

The Predator XP has lenght of 8.22 m, 16.8 m wide, weighting 204 kg on board, maximum speed of 222 km with it's range of 1239 km and service ceiling of 25000 ft. The XP variant is designed not to be able to be armed with weapons such as Hellfire missiles for export markets. It has 35 hours of flight endurance which is 11 hours longer compared to MQ-1 Predator. The Cost of Predator XP is known to be ₩ 50 billion.

Israeli companies who counter GAAS have already done intense competition in international markets. Elbit's Hermes has adopted both ground and maritime surveillance aircraft so that it can observe both ground and sea in one mission constantly which it make this UAV suitable for surveillance of NWI / NLL compared to other competing models. With it's service ceiling of 32000 ft with its maximum load of 300 kg, Hermes 900 can stay in the air for 36 hours snd conduct its S&R mission for 36 hours. Also it's Plug & Play design it can carry out aother kind of mission in short period of time. It is 8.3 m long, 15m wide and has maximum speed of 220 km, developed in 2009.

Heron-1 of IAI has ability of accurate / high-resolution ground survaillance due to EO camera and SAR as it's advantage. Carrying 250 kg of various surveillance equipment, it can last 52 hours i the air. It is 8.5 m long, 16.6 m wide, has maximum speed of 207 km, developed 13 years before Hermes in 1996

Heron-1 is developed long ago and is being used by various countries though it is known that Hermes 900 has won 6 recent international competition against Hermes. One military source has replied that " American Predator has shown it's intention of involvement though considering the cost and offsets, it will be competition between Israeli companies and their Hermes 900 and Heron-1".

Source : Yu Yong Won reporter / journalist of Chosun Ilbo (Korean newspaper) ; Yu Yong Won's Military (유용원의 군사세계)