[skitzot]

Israel is developing the world's largest unmanned aircraft, which will be used for long-range operations and destroying ballistic missiles as they are launched.

The Eitan has been developed by the Israel Aircraft Industries and has a wing span of 35m similar to that of a Boeing 737 passenger plane the official told AFP.

According to the Yediot Aharonot daily, the drone is designed for long endurance and high-altitude flights and is equipped with an array of advanced cameras and missiles which allow it to identify and intercept long-range missiles as they are being fired on the ground.

It will make its maiden flight in the coming days, the paper said.

Israel has stepped up in recent years the development of technologies to face the threat of missile attacks, fearing most notably Iran, which has acquired long-range ballistic missiles able to reach Israel and beyond.

Coupled with President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad's calls for the destruction of Israel, Iran's controversial nuclear program, which Israel claims is aimed at acquiring an atomic bomb, has become the Jewish state's main strategic threat.

Iran, which last year tested the Shahab-3 missiles which are capable of hitting targets around 2000 kilometers away, nevertheless insists the program is aimed solely at peaceful means.

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