Bowing under economical burden the German Government plans deep cuts in defence spending, dramatically reducing planned procurement of main weapon systems and platforms.Among the planned cuts recommended by German Defence Minister Thomas de Maiziere is the reduction of the number of unmanned aircraft systems from 22 to 16 (the German Air Force currently operates the Heron). The Luftwaffe will also be required to trim the number of ‘Euro Hawk’ High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) by two aircraft, operating the SIGINT unit with only four aircraft.
Source: Defense Update