OMG ...OMG war in the Middle East! (Yawn ... Yawn!)

Wired's Danger Room/ here

The latest headlines from Jerusalem are enough to make you spill your morning coffee: The Israeli military has unveiled a new fleet of drones that can stay aloft for a full day! And that can reach Iran! OMG OMG war in the Middle East!?

In an official ceremony Sunday, officials rolled out the Eitan, breathlessly described as Israel’s newest and biggest drone, capable of attacking Iran. But if you’ve followed this stuff long enough, it begs another question: How many times, exactly, can you unveil a drone?

The Eitan (”steadfast”) is a derivative of the Israel Aerospace Industries Heron unmanned aerial vehicle, a version with a larger wingspan and a more powerful engine. The drone, also known as the Heron TP or the Heron II, made a very public debut at the 2007 Paris Air Show. It was also featured in a media event at an Israeli air base in October 2007.

What’s more, photos of the Eitan, taken during the maiden flight of the aircraft in July 2006, were published by Jane’s Defence Weekly back in May of 2007. And the aircraft made its combat debut during Operation Cast Lead in the winter of 2008-2009, according to Barbara Opall-Rome of Defense News.

So why the fuss over the Eitan? Well, for starters, there is some saber-rattling over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, with speculation that Israel might strike the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities. But Michael Tobin of Fox News also points to a more prosaic reason: Marketing. “The other motivation is commercial,” he writes. “Israel Aerospace Industries want to sell this UAV to other countries.”