UAV · MALE ISR UAV
Heron
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) · Israel
MALE UAV (Heron 1 / Machatz-1) for strategic and tactical ISR, capable of fully autonomous taxi, takeoff and landing with very long endurance and a 250 kg payload. Widely exported and combat-proven.
| Country | Israel |
|---|---|
| Subcategory | Fixed-wing |
| Subtype | MALE ISR UAV |
| Role | ISR |
| Class | MALE |
| Classification | MALE UAV |
| Mission | ISR, Surveillance, Maritime patrol |
| Datalink | LOS and SATCOM |
| Variants | Heron 1, Heron TP (Eitan), Heron Mk II |
| Notable partners | Airbus (European Heron programs) |
| MTOW (kg) | 1250 |
| Operators | Israel, India, Singapore, Germany, Turkey, others |
| Frame type | Fixed-wing |
| Length (m) | 8.5 |
| Propulsion | Piston |
| Range (km) | 1000 |
| Wingspan (m) | 16.6 |
| Combat-proven | Yes |
| Export status | Widely exported |
| Launch method | Runway |
| Autonomy level | High |
| Endurance (min) | 3120 |
| Recovery method | Runway |
| Year introduced | 1994 |
| Max payload (kg) | 250 |
| Max speed (km/h) | 207 |
| Standard sensors | EO/IR, SAR, SIGINT |
| Production status | In production |
| Notable engagements | Extensive use over Gaza (Cast Lead, Iron Swords); ISR for NATO in Afghanistan |
| Service ceiling (m) | 10000 |
| Conflicts deployed in | Gaza operations, Afghanistan |
| Airframe / lift type | Fixed-wing |
| Control / autonomy level | RC line-of-sight – BVLOS |
| Domain | Aerial (UAV/UAS) |
| Mission / use case – military | ISR |
| Origin / supply chain | Military-grade |
| Propulsion | ICE – petrol |
| Range / endurance | Long endurance (>24 hrs) |
| Signature / detectability | RCS – large, RF-emitting |
| Speed regime | High (150–400 km/h) |
| Threat vector | Surveillance / reconnaissance |
| Weight / class | Class III – MALE (>600 kg), FAA >25 kg (Part 137 / waiver) |
In the news 4
EDGE Signs to Arm Morocco's Combat Drones With Desert Sting 16 and Thunder P-31 Guided WeaponsC-OBRA: A new era of digital self-protection on the modern battlefieldGreece greenlights $4bn Israeli air defence shield dealGreece approves over $3.4B in air defenses for Achilles’ Shield
From uav360.xyz, the xSonomy news feed. Headlines link to the original publisher.
Review-stage catalogue data — specs corroborated from manufacturer and secondary sources; not for procurement decisions. Source: www.iai.co.il