Friday, January 23, 2009

Robot Planes, Life-and-Death Choices Over Gaza

Heron-II. (Type: Strategic Multi-Role UAV). Manufacturer: Israel Aerospace Industries, Malat, Israel. Developed from Heron, it is the newest and largest UAV from IAI, Malat. Heron-II is capable of MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) operations. Max take-off weight: 4,650 kg, Typical mission payload: 1,000 kg, Endurance: 36 hr, Altitude: 45,000 ft , Powerplant: 1,200hp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop engine that powers a four-blade propeller. Heron-II is a Multi mission platform with multiple operational configurations. It has large internal volume for a variety of payloads.It has all weather capability and can operate above commercial traffic. It has satellite communication for extended range (SATCOM). 50+ in active service in Indian Army. Image Source Indian Military and Picasa Web.

From The Danger Room:

JERUSALEM -- The man was a few seconds from an all-but-certain death, when Gil told everyone to call off the airstrike.

This was Sunday. Gil, a captain in the Israeli Air Force, was sitting in a green-painted metal box on the Palmahim Air Base, south of Tel Aviv. In front of him was a joystick and a set of screens. They showed footage of a Gaza slum, taken by an unarmed Israeli spy drone with an infrared sensor. Gil had the sensor display a dark shade for heat. Which gave the images on Gil's screen an inverted feel; white was black, and black was white.

Read more ....

My Comment: In the next war, I am sure that there will be many more UAV squadrons in the Israeli military .... these weapons platforms are extremely effective.

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