The first two additional hangars were added in the spring of 2015 and the July 1 image reveals that work has finished on the final two hangars. Several posts on Facebook indicate that the company responsible for the construction is Egypt’s Orascom Construction and it’s U.S.-based subsidiary, Contrack Watts. On September 10, 2016, the Indian Air Force’s Western Air Command announced that drones were to surveil all air bases under its control, an area of operations that runs from Delhi north to Kashmir. —known domestically as GJ-1—within China. The arrangement of the shelters depicted in the satellite image corresponds to photos published on social media that reportedly show U.S. soldiers and equipment at Sidi Ahmed. In 2015, the armed forces, , a mid-sized strike-capable drone closely based on China’s CASC CH-3A. In 2004, India entered into negotiations with Israel to purchase Heron drones, according to a report by IHS Jane’s. Construction on internal access roads linking parts of Chabelley Airfield has already begun. The second drone, the Harbin BZK-005, is a high-altitude long-endurance surveillance drone made by the Beijing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics and Harbin Aircraft Industry Co., Ltd. It was a primary filming location for the original Star Wars film (1977, now called Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope) and Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999). Ukraine wants to buy five new Bayraktar TB2 combat drones next year. The Western Air Command’s headquarters is located in Delhi and, with its territory largely lodged between Pakistan and China, it is considered to be the most sensitive and important of the five Air Force Air Commands. Currently, the road is is subject to protruding boulders, edge washout, and potholes. Within the Western Air Command, there are already several bases where drones are already deployed, and have been for some time. In July 2017, Pakistan’s Aviation Design Institute announced that it was, working on a medium-altitude long-endurance. This website requires Javascript to be enabled. With a payload capacity of 200 kilograms, the Anka-S platform can carry a range of mission-specific payloads. The most recent image, dated January 29, 2017 and accessible on Google Earth, shows a pair of satellite communications and ground control stations used to control the BZK-005 situated near the main runway at Lingshui. , the aircraft is parked outside a hangar near the center of the base. A medium-sized drone like the Searcher, which has a range of around 200 kilometers, cover large swaths of this territory. Sharurah Regional Airport is a mixed civil-military facility. The PLA has also. It also has a history of actively using drones to patrol its borders; in June 2002, Pakistani media reported that an Israeli-made Searcher drone was shot down near Lahore. Construction of a new control tower is underway. Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili also announced that Iran had intercepted a U.S. RQ-4 Global Hawk drone near its borders on August 26, the latest incident in a string of tit-for-tat interactions featuring Iranian and U.S. drones. A February 23, 2017 image available on TerraServer shows three Chinese-made Wing Loong surveillance and strike drones parked at Uthman Airbase. In December, China, delivered its first Wing Loong II drones, a larger variant of the Wing Loong I, to an unnamed foreign customer. Satellite images available on Google Earth and TerraServer indicate that other airbases in Western Egypt—Misheifa, Habata, and Sidi Barrani—have received similar upgrades to those at Uthman, though apparently without the addition of new Chinese-made drones. . The deployment of the BZK-005 to Lingshui mirrors the deployment of the long-range surveillance drone to Daishan and Ningbo, home of the East Sea Fleet. It resembles the U.S. MQ-9 Reaper, although it has a slightly shorter wingspan and fuselage than the Reaper. The Hermes 900 is a medium-altitude long-endurance surveillance drone made by Elbit Systems, an Israeli company. The Swedish Army flies the AAI Shadow (known as Örnen, or “Eagle”) and AeroVironment Puma (Korpen, “Raven”) from Timbuktu. Historical commercial satellite imagery suggests that the deployment may have occurred sometime between mid-October and mid-December 2017. The Launching Ceremony of the Pilot Project on the Use of Drones in Agricultural Development Projects will be attended by Tunisia’s Minister of Development and International Cooperation and Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries. A July 2015 satellite image of Jazan Regional Airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia appeared to, deployed there for operations over Yemen. It includes supply of three each of Anka drones and ground control systems to the Tunisian Air Force, as well as training of 52 pilots and maintenance personnel, Turkish media reported Sunday. On September 10, 2016, the Indian Air Force’s Western Air Command announced that drones, under its control, an area of operations that runs from Delhi north to Kashmir. Shots From the Cities of La Marsa, Gammarth and Sidi Bou Said in Tunis Available in 4K Cinema DNG or H264 Mov. crashed during an experimental test flight near Mianwali in June 2016. It is the first known significant deployment of either the Wing Loong 2 or the Caihong 5, two sophisticated drones similar to the U.S. MQ-9 Reaper, and likely the largest ever deployment of medium-altitude long-endurance drones by China. Really I am inspired so much. The drone deployment to Uthman likely reflects Egypt’s push to secure its 1,000-mile-long border with Libya. James Cason/U.S. The Jizan image underscores both the rapid turnaround from delivery to deployment for these drones and the proliferation of more capable strike-capable drones. The aircraft appear to be either the Wing Loong 2 or the Caihong 5 based on the dimensions of the aircraft and a comparison with other satellite images. Hubsan X4 H107D+ Plus. In addition to the BZK-005, it hosts manned maritime surveillance aircraft and fighters. A satellite image of Ningbo airbase from May 30, 2011 shows three ASN-209 Silver Hawk tactical surveillance drones on mobile launchers. Satellite imagery shows that the Thales deployment is located on the western end of the airport, where a group of concrete aprons and taxiways have recently been refurbished. Germany plans to deploy Heron drones leased from Israel Aerospace Industries and flown by Airbus contractors to Gao, although the schedule could be delayed due to recent legal battles over the contract. It also includes aerial footage from drones of nearby landmarks such as industrial plants and bridges. However, India has both a, drone industry and a growing number of military drones, . This dynamic post will provide regular updates regarding the deployment of drones in military operations as new developments occur and as new information becomes available. A DigitalGlobe image from May 7, 2016 (accessed via Google Earth) shows the construction of three hangars to support the three Hermes 900 aircraft. test in mid-May. The images show a row of shelters and several soldiers. The arrangement of the shelters depicted in the satellite image corresponds to photos. Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili also announced that Iran had intercepted. The autonomous system also enables the UAV to automatically return to the predefined location in the event of loss of communication with the ground control station. Further east, at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, the U.S. has set up a base from which to fly a number of both Predator (or Gray Eagle). More recent satellite imagery sourced from TerraServer (August) shows a Hermes 900 aircraft parked on the apron. Around the same time, construction began on an expansion of housing facilities at Chabelley, the first physical signs of the transition to a longer-term deployment. In a video published on September 3, 2017, Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili, the commander of Iran’s Air Defense Force, announced that his service had unveiled a new drone base in an “undisclosed location.” The video showed an airstrip brimming with Iranian reconnaissance drones like the Ababil-4 and Mohajer-4, as well as several Karrars, a variant of the U.S. MQM-107A target drone. In June, the U.S. shot down two Iranian-made Shahed-129 strike-capable drones in Syria. The bivouac includes 21 small shelter systems, a standard 32.5 x 20-foot tent for accommodating troops, and six medium shelter systems, which are typically used as dining halls, store rooms, or kitchen areas. Turkeys BMC defense company has won an order to supply 9 Medium Class Multi-Purpose Armored Vehicles (MPAVs) to Tunisia. The November 2016 image shows that Bir Gifgafa is undergoing significant reconstruction. On September 29, 2015, art of an existing road in the northeastern corner of the base has been rerouted to make way for the construction of the boundary. The satellite imagery shows regular and active drone operations at the base involving both Heron and Searcher drones. It was first unveiled at the 2006 Zhuhai International Airshow. to support the campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen, the Predator XP and Caihong-4 are larger and more capable systems than the Wing Loong I. It is not known how this expansion for commercial operations will affect the military activity at the airport. . According to IHS Jane’s, Thales signed a three-year agreement with the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) in December 2015. Lingshui airbase is one of several bases belonging to the PLAN South Sea Fleet on Hainan Island, which abuts the South China Sea. Buy Robots & Drones on the Tindie marketplace. The image, which also shows a large-scale effort to refurbish Bir Gifgafa, may suggest an expansion Egypt’s military presence in the Sinai and Egypt’s willingness to use new tools against the Islamist insurgency on the peninsula. It is not clear based on the images alone why the drones have been deployed to Aksu. Both ASN-209s and BZK-005s have been based at an ex-reserve PLAN airfield on Daishan Island. The satellite image shows a walled staging area for construction vehicles near the entrance to the airfield. Tunisia: Tens of Thousands Mass for Burial Procession of Assassinated Opposition Leader. As of this month, three Hermes 900 drones are supporting United Nations peacekeeping missions in Mali. The July image of Ningbo does not, however, show any actual drones. American Navy commanders have said that they will shoot down any Iranian drones that endanger U.S. forces and Iran has vowed that it will continue drone patrols in the Gulf. Tunisia has a long connection with the Star Wars series. At Awantipur Air Force Station, an early Heron UAV is pictured in a satellite image from 2006, although one has not been seen there since then. Currently, the base is constructed using AM-2 metal matting, 12-feet-long aluminum panels that are used to rapidly build aircraft parking pads and taxiways. At Jammu Airport, both Searchers and Herons are pictured beginning in February 2006. More recent satellite imagery sourced from TerraServer (. ) Pakistan’s Air Force also operates an indigenous mid-sized surveillance drone, the GIDS Shahpar, which entered into service in 2013. Currently, the main areas of the base are individually bounded by walls and a road is patrolled by security vehicles, but the base as a whole lacks a protective boundary. Additional aircraft parking aprons have been added on both ends of the taxiway. The runway and main taxiways have been refurbished over the past several years and updates to the main aircraft aprons are currently under construction. In addition to the new drone hangar, the main runway and taxiways have been repaved and additional security perimeters have been added. All the satellite images are very clean and the active drone operator should know important this device. The deployment comes at a time when China’s mounting security and surveillance measures in the region have begun to receive growing international attention. Support equipment, including what appear to be two transport cases and a ground control station, is located along the edge of the apron. Tunisia: Revenue in the Drones segment is projected to reach US$0.9m in 2021. Several satellite images confirm China’s deployment of a BZK-005 long-range surveillance drone to, on Hainan Island. at Sigonella, Sicily. Page TransparencySee … A satellite image of Ningbo airbase from May 30, 2011 shows three ASN-209 Silver Hawk tactical surveillance drones on mobile launchers. A satellite image from October 7, 2016 appears to show the previously undisclosed location of U.S. surveillance drones in Tunisia: Sidi Ahmed-Bizerte Air Base in the northwest of the country. Other nations besides the United States have also deployed drones to Chabelley: between September 2014 and February 2015, the Italian Air Force deployed MQ-1 Predator drones to Chabelley to support counter-piracy missions in the Horn of Africa. The charges stemmed from Paquette’s tenure as commanding officer of the 722nd Expeditionary Air Base Squadron at Sidi Ahmed Air Base in Tunisia. The image, which was accessed on Google Earth, offers the first visual confirmation of Chinese-made drones operating in Jordan. It has deployed a small fleet of Falco mid-sized surveillance drones, which is. A second similar interaction between the U.S. aircraft carrier and an Iranian drone occurred days later. The image, which was accessed on Google Earth, follows a report from the Washington Post that the United States deployed drones Tunisia in June 2016. A November 24, 2017 satellite image of PAF Base M.M. According to earlier reports, Tunisia was eyeing at Anka-S medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE), the first drone developed for the Turkish military. This assessment is based on its wingspan—which we believe to be around 14 meters— and its V-tail, as well as a comparison with other satellite images of the Wing Loong I elsewhere in the world. Although the October 7 satellite image does not show any drones, it does show the ground control stations and satellite communications equipment that are required to operate drones, as well as rows of recently added troop shelters. It is designed with capabilities and characteristics similar to the U.S. MQ-1 Predator or MQ-9 Reaper drones. The announcement comes in the midst some of the worst violence in the Kashmir region in years; around, in the past 10 weeks as a result of clashes between protesters and the Indian military. In fact, there have already been more drone strikes in Somalia in 2016 than in 2015, and twice as many operations overall. The fuselage length and wingspan of the aircraft indicate that the drones are Chinese-made Wing Loongs. Anka’s composite structure integrates a locally developed, fully autonomous flight control computer to provide autonomous waypoint navigation and flight control. At Bhatinda, south of Kashmir in Punjab province, a Heron drone is pictured in an image from May 25, 2016. In its bid for China’s 2018 National Award for Science and Technology Progress, CASC revealed that more than 30 CH-4 drones have been exported to Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and “other countries.”. The deployment consists of a launch-and-recovery element located on the edge of the tarmac and a bivouac set back slightly from the airfield. Four images that are, Lingshui airbase is one of several bases belonging to the PLAN South Sea Fleet on Hainan Island, which abuts the South China Sea. It is similar to the U.S. General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper drone. The PLA has also deployed a number of Wing Loong Is—known domestically as GJ-1—within China. For example, while the Wing Loong I’s range is limited to line-of-sight communications, the Predator XP includes a satellite communications capability that enables more long-distance operations. In August, the UN issued a request for information for vendors willing to provide drone safety training sessions to MINUSMA aviation staff. Satellite imagery shows that the Thales deployment is located on the western end of the airport, where a group of concrete aprons and taxiways have recently been refurbished. A satellite image from October 31, 2016 shows that multiple strike drones have been deployed to Sharurah Regional Airport in Najran Province, Saudi Arabia, near the border with Yemen. This suggests that the U.S. drone deployment in Tunisia is at Sidi Ahmed. In the image, which is accessible at TerraServer, the aircraft is parked outside a hangar near the center of the base. Sidi Ahmed Air Base is already a restricted facility, and the base is large enough to accommodate the U.S. troops and aircraft. Zarqa Airport is located nearby several Jordanian military installations, including King Abdullah II Air Base. The video and satellite imagery both show both aircraft, ground control stations and satellite communications stationed at Zhongwei. Israel began permitting Egyptian military forces to deploy to the region. that the U.S. was looking for a drone base in a North African country to supplement the. There are military and civilian airfields that are closer to the Libyan border, but they would require the U.S. to invest in costly security upgrades in order to house drone operations. The Wing Loong (翼龙无人机) is a medium-altitude long-endurance drone that was developed for surveillance and strike missions. Additional aircraft parking aprons have been added on both ends of the taxiway. In fact, there have already been more drone strikes in Somalia in 2016 than in 2015, and twice as many operations overall. © 2021 DefenseWorld.net - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Ukraine to buy 5 more Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones in 2021, Turkish Firm to Develop AI to Link Up to 50 Drones in, Tunisia Agrees To Buy Turkish Armored Vehicles, Tunisia Orders Turkish Anka Drones, Armored Vehicles worth $150 Million. Specific conditions such as heat, humidity, granular shape of the sand, and angle of incline have to be met for the sand to produce this low humming rumble as it cascades down the slip-face of these crescent shaped Barchan dunes. ENFIN ! Both types of drones are roughly the same size, though they can be distinguished by their tail designs: the CH-4 has an upward-facing V-tail and the Predator XP has an inverted V-tail. Unlike Aksu, these deployments have never featured more than three medium-altitude long-endurance drones deployed together at one time. Feb 08, 2013. This assessment is based on its wingspan—which we believe to be around 14 meters— and its V-tail, as well as a comparison with other satellite images of the Wing Loong I elsewhere in the world. The deployment to Uthman marks the second known basing for the Egyptian drones; at least four Wing Loongs were deployed to Bir Gifgafa base in the Sinai in November 2016. Multiple satellite images taken between in December 2015 and until January 2017 show the BZK-005 drone and associated command and control and communications equipment parked at Lingshui Airbase. Although the acquisition of the CH-4 has not been confirmed by Jordan, the reports in Chinese media of the CH-4 sale, the infrastructure upgrades at Zarqa, and the continued presence of the CH-4 from July to October suggests that Jordan is indeed the latest country in the Middle East to purchase armed Chinese drones. Air Force) The CH-4 Rainbow is a Chinese-made medium-altitude long-endurance surveillance and strike drone. Historical satellite image suggests that Jizan briefly served as a base for a Wing Loong I drone in July 2015. Several countries besides China reportedly operate the CH-4, including Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Egypt. A November 13, 2016 satellite image shows two Chinese-made Wing Loong drones at Egypt’s Bir Gifgafa Airfield in the Sinai Peninsula. According to military. When combined with satellite imagery, the video reveals that several CH-4 drones are based at a civilian airport outside of Zhongwei, a city located in Ningxia province and on the edges of the Tengger Desert and Inner Mongolia. In 2014, the Obama, request for unarmed Predators XP drones. Blue Mini Drone. Historical imagery suggests that the deployment took place at some point between mid-October and mid-November 2016. The January 27 image of Lingshui shows that the air base is undergoing considerable reconstruction. China is an active exporter of strike-capable drones to countries around the world and has had a long-running interest in developing new unmanned systems. Unlike the military drones that are already operating in Mali, the Thales drones will be used to provide aerial surveillance for civilian operations such as humanitarian convoys. The number of Wing Loong drones in the image suggests that the Chinese-made drones are playing a larger role in the Saudi-led air campaign over Yemen than previously believed. The Wing Loong drones are similar in size to the U.S. MQ-1 Predator and are smaller than the U.S. MQ-9 Reaper (66-foot-wingspan) and the Chinese CH-4 Rainbow (60-foot-wingspan). . , is not intended for permanent use, and it can damage the aircraft if it is not maintained.