Warsaw orders more Fly Eye UAVs

The Polish defence ministry has ordered an additional batch of Fly Eye unmanned air vehicles from WB Electronics, under a deal worth almost zloty 24 million ($7.6 million).
WB will deliver 12 Fly Eye systems, each comprising air vehicles, a lightweight ground control station, remote viewing terminal and mobile transceiver station. The company will also provide training services for operators and technicians of the reconnaissance system.
Nine systems of four UAVs each will be delivered to a special forces unit, which has operated the Fly Eye since 2010 and already uses six examples in support of the Polish military contingent in Afghanistan. A Polish army aviation unit will get three sets of three UAVs, for use during reconnaissance and artillery co-ordination tasks.The hand-launched Fly Eye has a 3.6m (11.8ft) wingspan, a length of 1.9m and a maximum take-off weight of 11kg (24.3lb), including a payload of up to 4kg. The UAV has a 27nm (50km) operating radius and a flight endurance of 2-3h. The type's batteries and
surveillance payload are automatically ejected during its parachute-assisted landing sequence.