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Israel Leads Global Drone Exports as Demand Grows
(AP-ABC News) Tia Goldenberg - In an expansive hangar in central Israel, workers are fitting dozens of drones with advanced sensors, cameras and lasers before they are shipped to militaries worldwide to perform highly sensitive tasks. A report by the U.S. consulting firm Frost & Sullivan determined earlier this year that Israel is now the largest exporter of unmanned aerial systems, surmounting aerospace giants in the U.S. Analysts see demand for military UAVs quadrupling over the next decade, driven by their success in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Drones proved essential in Israel's last two wars in Gaza, providing its troops eyes over its enemies in congested urban areas, and are lauded for sparing dozens of soldiers' lives. "The Israeli companies are very good and very advanced and very smart at making systems that function in a tactical environment because they've been at war constantly," said Michael Blades, an industry analyst who authored the Frost & Sullivan report. "It came out of necessity but they got really good at it."