February theme: Aviation securityIsrael's use of UAVs expands
UAVs are assuming more and more military, intelligence, and homeland security missions; Israel has pioneered the broad-based use of UAVs for all types of missions, and is years ahead of other militaries in incorporating the systems into its operational planning; to know where UAV developments — and deployments — are heading, it would be a good idea to study the Israeli case
The growing use of U.S. UAVs in Iraq — and, as we predicted in July 2007, over the rugged mountains of north-west Pakistan — is drawing increasing attention to the current capabilities and future potential of these systems. The Israeli military, always operating under budgetary and man-power constraints, has pioneered to broad-based use of UAVs for all types of missions, and is years ahead of other militaries in incorporating the systems into its operational planning. If we want to know where UAV technology stands, and where it is headed, we should study, in some detail, the current use and future development of UAV systems in Israel.
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) admits that future manned aircraft procurement programs will have to be adjusted based on the capabilities of advanced UAVs now under development, the Israeli air force admits. Arie Egozi, offering a detailed discussion in Flight, writes that most of the UAVs under development in Israel and in use with the IAF are highly classified, and will stay that way for years to come. “The UAVs that the Israeli armed forces are using on a daily basis are a super force multiplier,” a senior source at the Israeli ministry of defense told Egozi, adding that some of the programs make UAVs “not just a substitute for manned aircraft, but a tool with dramatically enhanced capabilities”.
In addition to programs funded by the Ministry of Defense (MoD), Israel’s two main manufacturers, Elbit Systems and the Malat division of Israel Aerospace Industries, are investing their own research and development money in advanced different UAV systems. One partially unclassified project is IAI’s Heron 2 or Heron TP. The IAF is test flying this large UAV, which it has dubbed “Eitan” (see March 2007 HSDW story). IAF source told Egozi that the test flights will continue through 2008 “before series production begins.” Industry and air force sources frequently refer to UAVs as a satellite substitute, and when the prototype Eitan was unveiled in late 2007 at Tel Nof air force base it was equipped with what looked like the housing for an advanced multi-sensor payload. The Eitan is big UAV. Powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 turboprop, and 13 meter (43 ft.) long with a wing span of 26 meters, the Eitan has a maximum take-off weight of 4 tons. The aircraft is
