HJS Friends of Israel Report FINAL_HJS Friends of Israel Report FINAL.qxd 06/02/2014 09:55 Page 12 ADDED VALUE: ISRAEL’S STRATEGIC WORTH TO THE EU AND ITS MEMBER STATES be strengthened […] The West cannot fight this Israeli UAV that has saved the lives of European radical tide without Israel.”55 troops,60 contributing extensively to French military operations in Afghanistan;61 Libya;62 and Mali.63 UAV technology Another is the ‘Hermes 450’, developed by Israel’s In the 1970s, Israel became the first country ever to Elbit Systems 64 which has logged at least 70,000 hours produce Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs); today, it of surveillance (the equivalent of eight years’ non-stop is their leading exporter worldwide, accounting for flying) in Afghanistan, for the British Army.65 The UK 40% of all sales globally.56 57 UAVs are now a critical Ministry of Defence and its ground commanders in tool of modern warfare; counterterrorism; and law Afghanistan have described the aircraft as “vital” for enforcement, and experts believe that demand for protecting British troops in the country’s volatile them will quadruple over the next decade.58 Helmand Province.66 Of all Israeli UAVs exported, half go to Europe – chiefly Britain, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, and Spain.59 Israel Aerospace Industries’ ‘Heron’ (known 60 Tsilla Hershco, “French-Israeli Security Cooperation in the Twenty-First Century (Hebrew),” Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, 1 July 2013, in France as ‘Harfang’) is but one example of an available at: http://besacenter.org/mideast-security-and-policy-studies/ french-israeli-security-cooperation-in-the-twenty-first-century-hebrew/. 61 Tech. Sgt. John Jung, “French unmanned aircraft protect Bagram Airmen, coalition forces” U.S. Air Force, 13 July 2009, available at: h //archive.is/ 55 José María Aznar, “Israel and NATO,” Congress Monthly (2007), ttp: available at: http://www.ajcongress.org/site/DocServer/Jose_Maria_ 20120720012659/http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123158417 Aznar.pdf?docID=3041. (accessed 9 November 2013). 56 “Israel – an unmanned air systems (UAS) super power,” Defense Update, 62 Zach Rosenberg, “France deploys Harfang over Libya,” Flightglobal, 3 May 2013, avail e at: http://defense-update.com/20130503_israel-as- 25 August 2011, available at: http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/ abl unmanned-air-systems-super-power.html (accessed 2 November 2013). france-deploys-harfang-over-libya-361301/ (accessed 9 November 2013). 57 “‘Peak Defence’ on Horizon as US, UK & Europe Erodes Competitive Edge,” 63 “French Harfang UAV logs 2,000 flight hours in Mali,” Shephard Media, 5 September 201 lable at: http://www.shephardmedia.com/ IHS, 24 June 2013, available at: http://press.ihs.com/press-release/ 3, avai country-industry-forecasting/peak-defence-horizon-us-uk-europe- news/uv-online/french-air-force-harfang-logs-2000-flight-hours-ma/ erodes-competitive-edge (accessed 9 November 2013). (accessed 9 November 2013). 58 Charles Levinson, “Israe bots Remake Battlefield,” The Wall Street Journal, 64 Lewis Page, “UK MoD reveals Watchkeeper spy-drone numbers,” li Ro 13 January 2010, available at: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/ The Register, 15 June 2007, available at: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/ SB126325146524725387 (accessed 8 November 2013). 06/15/watchkeeper_numbers_revealed/ (accessed 4 November 2013). 65 “Hermes 450 reaches 70,000 hours in Afghanistan,” UK Minist 59 Gili Cohen, “Israel is world’s largest exporter of drones, study finds,” ry of Defence, 19 Haaretz, 19 May 2013, available at: http://www.haaretz.com/news/ September 2013, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ diplomacy-defense/israel-is-world-s-largest-exporter-of-drones-study- hermes-450-reaches-70000-hours-in-afghanistan (accessed 9 November 2013). finds.premium-1.524771 66 Ibid. (accessed 8 November 2013). terLu s .com/Ma iStock © The Vatican – a European icon secured by Israeli technology 10