2024-05-06 11:34:37
Lufthansa will work with the Israeli defense company Elbit Systems in the field of military drones through its maintenance subsidiary Lufthansa Technik, as part of the expansion of its defense activities, a spokesman for Lufthansa said on Monday.
The project involves a tender for the delivery and maintenance of eight Israeli Hermes 900 Starliner submarines for the German Navy.
Lufthansa Technik will be responsible for maintenance and personnel training, while Elbit will be responsible for producing the drones. Neither party disclosed the value of the project.
The companies signed a memorandum of understanding in January this year, but a formal contract has not yet been signed.
Elbit Systems declined to comment.
This is the first military drone project for the German airline subsidiary.
Its defense activities include the servicing and maintenance of core NATO aircraft, such as F-35 fighter jets, Chinook transport helicopters and Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft.
Germany launched a special defense fund of 100 billion euros ($107.68 billion) in 2022 as a “Zeitenwende” (base point) to increase its military spending after Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
The Hermes 900 Starliner is an Israeli-made reconnaissance and attack drone capable of carrying up to 450 kilograms of payload, operated by India, Canada, Brazil and Switzerland, among others.
The joint project will be presented at the ILA international aerospace exhibition in Berlin in June, Lufthansa Technik said.
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