The Israel Air Force added a new advanced unmanned aerial vehicle to its arsenal on Sunday.
The ceremony to receive the “Spark” drone took place at Hatzor Air Base, southeast of Ashdod, with the aircraft handed over to the 144th UAV Squadron. It will be the first IAF unit to operate the machine developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and its Aeronautics Ltd. subsidiary.
The “Spark” UAV is part of Israel’s “Storm Clouds” project—a collaboration between the director of UAVs at the Ministry of Defense, Rafael and Aeronautics. The “Storm Clouds” project is intended to develop an array of UAVs capable of engaging in multi-dimension warfare.
This UAV “will significantly improve the ability of the operating troops to act offensively and effectively according to data that will be received. This is a new capability of the UAV Array, which constitutes the gateway to the fifth generation of the array in the IDF,” the military said.
“This is an exciting day in which we rise to another level, a day in which the squadron has more aircraft and weapons alongside its excellent service members. A day when the ‘Storm Clouds’ project turns from a vision into a wonderful reality,” said Israel Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar.
“The squadron has come a long way since its establishment about a year ago to receiving the aircraft today. I want to convey my appreciation to you for that,” Bar said.
