According to a new report, Israeli drone maker Aeronautics Defense Systems is under investigation by the Defense Ministry’s Defense Export Controls Agency over claims one of its drones was used in an attack by the Azerbaijan government against the Armenian army.
The Times of Israel reports:
According to the report, the firm sent a team to the Azerbaijan capital Baku to demonstrate its Orbiter 1K unmanned aerial vehicle, which can be outfitted with a small explosive payload, 2.2 to 4.4 pounds (one to two kilograms), and flown into an enemy target on a “suicide” mission.
According to the complaint, while demonstrating the Orbiter 1K system to the Azerbaijani military sometime last month, the company was asked to carry out a live fire test of the system against an Armenian military position. The two countries have been been fighting a sporadic conflict for nearly 25 years, which has ramped up over the last 16 months over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Such a test would be illegal under Israeli law, as companies require a seldom-granted permit allowing them to carry out demonstrations against real targets. In this case, Aeronautics Defense Systems would be even less likely to receive such a permit, as Israel does not consider Armenia to be an enemy state.
The two Israelis tasked with the demonstration attack reportedly refused to comply. Two senior company representatives then attempted to follow through with the attack, but missed their intended target. No damage or injuries were sustained as a result.
Despite being a Muslim-majority country, Azerbaijan has been long viewed as a strong ally of Israel against any potential conflict with neighboring Iran. The Times reports Azerbaijan has purchased nearly $5 billion worth of weapons and defense systems from Israel.