Israel’s defence ministry has blocked a contract to sell Aeronautics Defense Systems Dominator XP unmanned air systems to Abu Dhabi, after reviewing the contents of the deal.
Aeronautics declined to comment on the ministry’s decision, while the defence ministry said it would not comment on the matter of defence exports.
However, sources in Abu Dhabi claimed a down payment linked to a sale of equipment including the Dominator had already been made, and that deliveries had been due to start soon.
Based on the Diamond DA42 twin-engined aircraft, the Dominator XP has been adapted to comply with the terms of the international Missile Technology Control Regime.
The company’s baseline Dominator 2 design can be flown to an altitude of 30,000ft (9,150 m) and achieve a maximum speed of 190kt (352 km/h). With a maximum take-off weight of 2,000 kg (4,409 lbs), including a 300 kg payload, the aircraft has an endurance of up to 28 hours.
Source: Flight Global