Illegally flown drone nearly collides with IAF Black Hawk helicopter
Army says it’s working with police to prevent similar incidents of unmanned civilian aircraft entering military airspace
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleJudah Ari Gross is The Times of Israel's religions and Diaspora affairs correspondent.
A civilian drone nearly collided with an Israeli Air Force helicopter over a military base in central Israel on Sunday, the army said.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, the drone was flown illegally and “dangerously approached” a Black Hawk helicopter.
“The drone was flown against the law, at an altitude and in an area that are forbidden for drones to operate in,” the army said Monday.
Civilian drones are not allowed to be flown near army bases both because they present a threat to military aircraft and because they can be used to film classified military activities.
“The IDF will work with the Israel Police to prevent safety risks of flights carried out against the law and against the aerial information security protocols of the State of Israel,” the army said in a statement.
The incident came a week and a half after drones forced the closing of London’s Gatwick Airport, Britain’s second-busiest by passenger numbers, for 36 hours as the unmanned aircraft were flown into its airspace.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.