Eitan (Heron TP)

The IAI Eitan, also designated as the Heron TP, is a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial system developed by the Malat division of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). Designed primarily for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR), the aircraft entered service with the Israeli Air Force's 210 Squadron at Tel Nof in December 2010. It is a larger development of the IAI Heron capable of long-range strategic strike and missile defence roles.

Development

The Israeli Air Force magazine revealed the Eitan programme in April 2004, noting that two prototypes were already operational. US company Aurora Flight Sciences announced a joint venture named Orion in March 2005 to market the design internationally, though no further progress was released. Reports recorded an Israeli maiden flight on 15 July 2006, followed by further flight testing announcements in early 2007. The aircraft was officially unveiled to the public on 8 October 2007 at Tel Nof Airbase equipped with synthetic aperture radar, an under-nose multi-sensor payload, and conformal signals intelligence arrays.

Design

The Eitan is a high-wing cantilever monoplane constructed of composite materials, featuring a wingspan of 26 metres and a maximum takeoff weight of 5,400 kilograms. It utilizes a twin-boom layout carrying twin vertical tails connected by a horizontal stabilizer, with a main retractable tricycle undercarriage that folds into the tail booms. Power is provided by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-67A turboprop engine producing 900 kW (1,200 hp), mounted in the rear fuselage driving a pusher propeller. The aircraft features triple-redundant avionics, automatic takeoff and landing systems, all-weather operation, and de-icing capability. It carries up to a 2,700 kilogram payload, reaches a maximum speed of 407 km/h, operates at a service ceiling of 14,000 metres, and has an endurance exceeding 30 hours.

Armament

The Eitan is capable of executing strike roles using ordnance mounted on wing hardpoints. These weapon systems allow the platform to conduct target acquisition, missile defence, and long-range strategic strike missions.

Operational History

Reports indicate the Eitan was deployed operationally in 2009 during an airstrike against an arms convoy in Sudan. Following its formal 2010 fleet introduction into IAF service, an aircraft crashed near Hafetz Haim in January 2012 during payload testing. In May 2020, Greece agreed to a three-year lease of three Heron TP systems in a maritime configuration. Germany contracted IAI and Airbus to supply Heron TPs for the German Air Force, with German personnel training alongside Israeli operators in the Red Baron Squadron. Proposed export acquisitions by France, the United Kingdom, and India were cancelled or revised due to transfer-of-technology restrictions, with India ultimately procuring the Heron Mk2 variant instead.