- After 45 attacks so far in 2009 against the Swedish-Finnish force in Afghanistan, there is an urgent need to improve intelligence gathering, and force protection, writes the Armed Forces in its request to get instant loan tactical, unmanned spy planes to protect soldiers against hostile attacks .

A year ago, cross-riveted Government to obtain this type of tactical unmanned reconnaissance plane tuav, who can fly in a predetermined route, taking pictures from the air and send pictures wirelessly to the operator on the ground.

Afghan Force can not wait
In this year's Budget has, however, the Department of Defense changed its mind and turns money for the purchase of the American system Shadow 200th

But the process takes too long, says the Armed Forces.

The new plan will not be delivered until just over a year and Afghan forces is not to wait so long.

Therefore, like the Armed Forces lease finished tuav system with staff and everything until the defense had their own plan.

Fast pucks
It is urgent. Request for tender went out just before Christmas. Offers must be in by 15 January and by 1 July 2010; they hired reconnaissance systems be in place in Afghanistan.

-    Prior to operations and other activities, the system shall ensure efficient retrieval designed to elucidate the possible threat, write the Armed Forces in its inquiry to the Defense Materiel Administration.

Falcon is too small
During the year, the Swedish-Finnish Afghan Force had the help of the little unmanned reconnaissance plane Falcon K3 in Karlsborg.

But Falcon is a small plane with a short range and does not work to scout over large distances.

Falcon is a system that can be used to within ten-fifteen minutes of access to air reconnaissance over the neighborhood as a complement to a larger tactical unmanned reconnaissance plane that can be absorbed elsewhere.

The defense would like to supplement with an unmanned reconnaissance plane that can be in the air at least eight hours to fly before a troop from one village to another in search of the area for enemies.

How have other countries done
1. England is using Reaper in a mixture of the lease / purchase of American General Atomics Aeronatical Systems, abbreviated as GA-ASI. The plane weighs 4700 kilograms. It can bring bombs and missiles and can be remotely controlled via satellite link.

2nd Canada, Germany and Australia, has leased Heron from Israeli Aerospace Industries. Planet weighing 1 000 kilograms and can be in the air 40 hours at a time. Heron has both camera and radar, the same radar as the Swedish Coast Guard uses for his aircraft. See videos on Youtube here.

3rd England leases H450 from the Israeli Elbit Systems. It is a 500-pound plane can be in the air for 20 hours and carry with them an advanced camera for both day and night missions. See video from the Royal Artillery on Youtube.

4th Holland leases Aerostar from Israeli Aeronautics. The plane weighs 200 kilograms and can be in the air 12 hours. Aerostar is very similar to Sweden Current Shadow 200 in size and performance. Youtube.

5th Australia leases except Heron also Scan Eagle from Boeing. Scan Eagle is a small plane in just 20 kilograms, which can be launched with a catapult and captured with a wire. Scan Eagle has essentially the same camera as Falcon, but may be in the air for 12 hours against Falken 3 hours.