Israel developing UAV early warning sensor

Faced with a burgeoning nuclear threat from Iran, Israel is looking to develop long-range, high-resolution unmanned vehicles to help in identifying incoming nuclear warheads, RF Design reports.

A prototype of the infra-red sensor has already been tested as part of the five-year old Israeli-German program called Bluebird. The Israelis are reportedly proposing a follow-on program called the Airborne Early Warning Sensor, which Pentagon officials are apparently considering for funding under the jointly funded Israeli Upper Tier program.

Some $50 million has already been appropriated for that program in 2008 and 2009, RF Design said.