Sunday, November 23, 2008

Heron

Also Known As
Ardea (Canadian civil version)
Machatz 1
Shoval (Israeli Air Force name)

Origin
Israel

Contractor/s
Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI)

Applications
E-Hunter
Eagle 1
Hunter II

Family Members
Heron TP

Sensors & Communications:
EL/M-2022A

Description: The Heron is a long endurance, medium-altitude, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) with fully automatic landing and takeoff features. It provides wide-area, real-time intelligence to national agencies, theater commanders and lower echelons operating from deep inside enemy territory. The Heron is able to accommodate up to 250 kg of intelligence payloads with flight endurance of 52 hours.

The Heron UAV and its payload are controlled via a line-of-sight and beyond line-of-sight (using an airborne platform to relay the data) datalinks. If datalink loss, the Heron UAV returns to its home base autonomously. Plans exists to integrate a satellite datalink on the Heron UAV. In addition, the Heron UAV can perform autonomous flight without datalink the aircraft and the control station when required.

The Heron UAV can accommodate Infrared/CCD-TV, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), and marine patrol radar payloads in accordance with the mission profile. It was selected by EADS as the basis for the Eagle/EUROMALE Medium Altitude Long Endurance UAV program.

In September 20005, IAI was awarded a $50 million contract for the supply of additional Heron (Machatz 1 Israel Armed Forces designation) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the Israel Air Force (IAF). The Machatz 1 aerial vehicles on order can load multiple sensors such as maritime search radar, synthetic aperture radar, COMINT (Communications Intelligence) and ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) systems. An automatic launch and recovery system and all-weather capabilities are the most relevant features of IAF's Machatz 1 aerial vehicles.

Specifications
Accommodation: Unmanned

Dimensions: Length 8.5 m, Wingspan 16.6 m

Weights: Max Weight 1,250 kg (2,756 lb), Payload 250 kg (551 lb)

Performance: Ceiling 9,150 m (30,020 ft), Endurance 40 hours, Max Range 1,000 km (540 nm)

Power: Power 100 hp

News
Canadian Air Force Takes Delivery of First Heron UAV System

First Flight of Ardea-Heron Unmanned Aerial Vehicle in Canada

Heron UAV Allowed to Operate in Israel Civil Airspace

The Israel Air Force Receives New Israel Aerospace Industries UAV System

Operators

see operators map | see family operators map

Canada

Procured through NOCTUA project for deployment in Afghanistan, deliveries began in October 2008

India

Israel

Image Gallery

Notes
(*) lead contractor
IOC: Initial Operating Capability
FOC: Full Operating Capability
CEP: Circular Error Probable
Comm: Commissioning Date
Meters (m) Kilometers (km) Nautic Miles (nm) Inch (in) Yard (yd) Foot (ft) Millimeter (mm)
Pound (lb) Kilogram (kg) kN (KiloNewton) Ton (t)
Meters per Second (mps) Kilometers per Hour (kph) Knot (kt) Miles per Hour (mph)
Liter (l) Galon (gl)
Year (yr) Minutes (min) Second (sec)
Shaft-Horse-Power (shp)

Last Updated: Saturday, November 22, 2008

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