Germany's parliamentary budget committee on Wednesday backed plans by the German military to lease Israeli-built Heron-TP surveillance drones in a deal valued at around €1 billion ($1.18 billion), committee sources said.
The deal had run into some opposition last year from the center-left Social Democrats, junior partners in Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition, because the drones could be armed in the future.
The German military currently uses a different model of Heron drones that cannot be armed.
Merkel's conservatives and the SPD agreed in a new coalition accord in February to lease the drones, built by Israel Aerospace Industries, through 2027, but to defer a decision on any future arming until after the parliament debated the issue.
The plan includes two separate contracts: one with Airbus, which will manage the drone program, and one with the Israeli government to cover training, infrastructure and logistics for the drones, which will be stationed in Israel.
The leasing program is intended as a temporary solution until a European drone is ready for use around 2025.
German Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz said the deal would allow significantly better protection of German troops.
The Greens party voted against the plan, saying €50 million from the contract were already earmarked for a technical preparation for future use with weapons.
"The big promised debate about the arming of the drones is a farce given what's already included in this contract," said Greens lawmaker Tobias Lindner, a member of the budget committee.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the decision, saying, "This is a great contribution to the Israeli security industry and to the Israeli economy. The giant deal is an expression of the strategic partnership between Germany and Israel and attests to the potential of Israeli industry to contribute to countries such as Germany."
