Defence

Israel Aircraft Industries’ Heron unmanned air vehicle set a new endurance record of 25h during its first operational sortie with the Israeli air force. The service expects to order additional Heron air vehicles – which can operate at altitudes up to 30,000ft (9,150m) for over 40h – to those included in a $50 million deal signed in mid-2005. The air force will, meanwhile, upgrade its Bell AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters to a common configuration, adding a weapons status display and lowering the platform’s basic weight to enable it to carry an increased payload.