SOURCE: AFI
Adani Defence is back in the headlines after a left-leaning news portal alleged the company supplied armed Hermes-900 drones directly to Israel for potential use in the ongoing Gaza conflict. Let’s break down the key points to understand the situation better.
The news portal claims Adani Defence provided 20 complete Hermes-900 UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) to Israel, potentially for use in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Adani Defence clarifies that they only supplied 20 aerostructures for the Hermes-900. These are essentially components, not the complete armed drones.
Adani Defence, through its predecessor Alpha Design Technologies, has collaborated with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the developer of the Hermes-900, for supplying these components. Adani acquired Alpha Design Technologies in April 2019, essentially taking over the existing supplier role.
The Hermes-900 isn’t an Indian-made product nor Adani Defence have control over its armament or final destination. Adani Defence did clarified that the Hermes-900 cannot be directly weaponized, but company is just a supplier so cant restrict its supplies or it will risk loosing its business.
The news portal’s criticism likely aims to pressure the Indian government to restrict military equipment exports to Israel, particularly those potentially used in conflicts but Indian Goverment cant play any role where Indian component supplier can be restricted, since Indian Goverment nor DRDO own the IPR of the UAV. The Hermes-900 is an Israeli-made UAV. Adani Defence acts as a supplier of specific components, not the complete system. Understanding the bigger picture is crucial when encountering such reports. By examining the facts and various perspectives, we can form a more informed opinion on the situation.