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In October 2020, Frontex awarded a contract to Airbus Defence and Space Airborne Solutions and Israel Aerospace Industries to operate a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) remotely piloted aircraft system for maritime aerial surveillance across Greece, Italy, and/or Malta. The service includes provision of a Heron RPAS platform equipped with electro-optical, infrared, maritime patrol radar, and automatic identification system payloads, along with ground control stations and operational support. The contract followed successful trials demonstrating the benefits of unmanned systems for precise, long-endurance surveillance of European borders and coastlines.