UAVs

The Dutch defence ministry has purchased five Aladin mini unmanned air vehicle systems from German manufacturer EMT to support its deployed personnel in Afghanistan’s Uruzgan province.

The hand-launched UAV weighs roughly 3kg (6.6lb), has a 1.5m (4.9ft) wingspan, a mission radius of over 5km (2.7nm) and an endurance of around 30min.

The acquisition covers the delivery of 10 Aladin air vehicles and five ground control stations, with the airframes expected to have a combined lifespan of around 500 flights. Dutch personnel will receive training in how to operate the UAVs from German troops operating in northern Afghanistan. The German army took delivery of its first of 115 Aladin systems last August and has conducted over 400 reconnaissance flights, says EMT.

The Aladin can provide real-time reconnaissance information from its daylight video and infrared night-vision cameras.