Seamless transition between Heron 1 and HERON TP touted

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) continues the HERON legacy in Australia by displaying its most versatile strategic UAS, HERON TP, at Avalon International Airshow.

The HERON TP has been in active service with the Israel Air Force since 2010. It features a maximum takeoff weight of 5,400kg, a maximum payload weight of 1t, and a maximum flight ceiling of 45,000 feet. The UAS also meets world standards for certification and complies with STANAG 4671.

Since 2010, the HERON TP’s smaller relative HERON 1 has accumulated some 30,000 flight hours with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), mostly in operational activities, gathering intelligence and protecting Australian forces in Afghanistan. Since completing operations in Afghanistan in 2014, the HERON 1 has been approved for flight in Australian airspace and has continued to operate in a training capacity for the RAAF. According to the company, “HERON TP brings a significant advantage to our Australian customers, since it is operated with the same operational concepts as the HERON 1, allowing a virtually seamless transition between Heron 1 and the much larger and more capable HERON TP.”

“We are proud to present the HERON TP, a member of IAI’s HERON family, in Australia, a significant main customer of IAI,” Shaul Shahar, IAI’s EVP and General Manager of the Military Aircraft Group, said. “HERON TP allows many different tasks to be performed that give a whole solution to the RAAF. This is due to its high performance, with an emphasis on high flight speed, high altitude capability, and enhanced payload capability; thus allowing long-range multi-role operation with a wide scope of observation and intelligence capabilities. Presenting HERON TP in Australia is, therefore, a direct continuation of the RAAF’s tradition of operating the Heron 1, and we truly believe that the HERON TP is the best solution for the Australian customer’s needs.”