JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Israel Defense Forces shot down one of its own drones over the Mediterranean Sea because of an engine malfunction.
The Heron-class Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, called Shoval, was shot down Saturday night near Netanya. Following the crash, the Israeli Navy and Air Force searched for the drone’s remains.
The downed drone is one of Israel’s largest and most advanced UAVs.
Israel’s Air Force has grounded all Shoval UAVs pending the outcome of an investigation into the malfunction.
An Israeli drone was downed intentionally a year ago after malfunctioning as a result of human error.
