Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) continues the Heron legacy in Australia by displaying the world’s most versatile strategic UAS, Heron TP, at Avalon International Airshow. The Heron TP is a multi-mission and multi-payload UAS integrating IAI’s most cutting-edge technologies. The aircraft is designed and built to the highest safety and reliability standards in the world, and capable of operating in extreme weather conditions. Heron TP is the Medium Altitude, Long Endurance (MALE) strategic UAS of IAI’s Heron family, which includes the Heron 1 UAS. Heron 1 has been supporting the Australian Defence Forces in Afghanistan and Australia since 2010.
The Heron TP has been in active service with the Israel Air Force since 2010. It features a maximum takeoff weight of 5,400 kilograms, a maximum payload weight of 1 ton, 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, 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. 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.
Heron TP’s development is the result of IAI’s 40 years of experience in developing UAS’s for 50 satisfied customers with more than 1,500,000 cumulative flight hours.
Shaul Shahar, IAI’s EVP and General Manager of the Military Aircraft Group: “We are proud to present the Heron TP, a member of IAI’s Heron family, in Australia, a significant main customer of IAI. Heron TP allows many different tasks to be performed that give a whole solution to the Royal Australian Air Force. 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 Royal Australian Air Force’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. “
