Airbus Defence and Space and the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) have signed a renewed service contract agreement for Heron 1 unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in operation in Afghanistan and Mali.
In Afghanistan, Heron 1 Services was extended in March 2020, for the period June 2020 / May 2021. It has successfully logged up more than 46,000 flight hours in over 4,100 operational flights. Also, in March this year, the German Air Force passed the milestone of ten years of Heron 1 operations in Afghanistan, with a first operational flight dating back to March 17, 2010.
Comparably, in Mali, Heron 1 services has also been extended for the period August 2020 / July 2021 (with an option for August 2021 / July 2022). It had logged more than 11,500 flight hours in over 1,200 operational flights. The system’s first flight in Mali dates back to November 1, 2016 after the first service contract was signed in July 2016.
