Droni Long Range e Mediterraneo: una pregiudiziale Interrogazione UE

Perché sono stati scelti velivoli israeliani e USA, in Europa?

Una interrogazione a risposta scritta della parlamentare UE Sabine Losing evidenzia l'anomalia nell'impiego di “droni a lungo raggio” di fabbricazione rispettivamente israeliano (due aziende) ed una americana. Per quale ragione non sono stati scelti “droni” fabbricati in Europa? L'agenzia EMSA - European Maritime Safety Agency – infatti, impiega ‘Hermes 900’, Heron 1 e Predator, mentre sono ignoti gli aeroporti/aerobasi di partenza e di arrivo. Anche l'acquisizione del database delle ricognizioni è, comunque, oggetto di contesa e di verifica dei livelli di riservatezza concordati ed operativi.

“Two companies from Israel and one from the US dominate the market for long-distance, military drones. Their models are now being used to monitor the Mediterranean. The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) is flying a ‘Hermes 900’ produced by the Israeli company Elbit from Portugal. The border agency Frontex is using an Israeli ‘Heron 1’ produced by the company IAI for an initial 600 flight hours from Crete. Long-distance drones produced by the US manufacturer General Atomics are flying over the Mediterranean as part of the EUNAVFOR MED military operation.

1.Which optical or radar-based monitoring sensors do the three ‘Hermes 900’, ‘Heron 1’ and ‘Predator’ long-distance drones used to combat irregular migration in the Mediterranean carry, and what resolution are these?

2.Over which parts of the Mediterranean are the drones flying or have they flown, and from which airports are they launched?

3.Which companies are operating the ‘Hermes 900’ and ‘Heron 1’ for the EMSA and Frontex, and which other tasks (such as launches and landings or inspection flights using drones) are undertaken by these companies?”