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More hi-tech drones for Polish army: report

28.02.2022 14:00
Poland will buy an additional batch of sophisticated military drones in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, officials have said, according to a report.
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Pixabay LicenseImage by Tayeb MEZAHDIA from Pixabay

The planned purchase of the MQ-9 Reaper drones is motivated by "an urgent operational need" created by Russia's attack on its southern neighbour, the defence24.pl website reported, without specifying details of the order.

The MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs) is intended for air reconnaissance and combat missions, the website said.

It added that the drones would be able to fly continuously for up to 27 hours at a distance of up to 1,800 kilometres.

In December, government officials announced a deal to buy 100 new drones for the Polish army in an effort to boost its effectiveness on the modern battlefield.

Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak told a news conference at the time that the drones would be manufactured by a consortium of domestic producers between 2024 and 2027.

They will be equipped with special electro-optical instruments to enable users to conduct remote reconnaissance missions, detect threats and coordinate response operations, he also said.

Polish President Andrzej Duda in May discussed security challenges and defence ties with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during a visit to Ankara.

At the time, the two countries signed a deal under which Poland undertook to buy 24 armed drones from Turkey.

(gs)

Source: defence24.pl