But we ARE buying (remotely piloted) aircraft from the Israelis already. Are you saying only Euro or US types are capable of certification? How is Tucano certified then?
We're not actually.
Hermes was operated under a service agreement that was theatre specific. Not a good lobg term solution.
Watchkeeper is a different airframe and system; there isn't much Israeli content actually left in it - this is one of the reasons its so expensive. Buying from the Israelis direct wouldn't meet airworthiness standards.
This isn't just an Israeli problem. It also exists with US equipment as they have both different standards and don't release evidence. Look at Airseeker - no airworthiness case at all as the US wouldn't release evidence, hence SoS carries ownership of the risk. This sign off is the only reason we're flying now.
The MoD response to Haddon-Cave has not been good.