Tel Aviv. A landing and takeoff of an Israeli made Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) at Israel international airport in Tel Aviv on September 16 marks the opening of new markets for such unmanned systems made by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
The Heron, a UAV developed and built by IAI landed on September 16 at Ben Gurion International Airport, becoming the first UAV to land at an international airport alongside commercial flights occupying civilian air space.
The UAV took off from Ein Shemer Landing pad in northern Israel, landed at Ben Gurion, and flew back to Ein Shemer. The entire takeoff, flight, and landing were operated from the Ein Shemer control station.
Avi Bleser, Vice President, Marketing & Sales of IAI military aircraft group told Raksha Anirveda that this historic landing proves the maturity and safety of IAI’s Long Runner operating system, which allows UAVs to take off and land automatically on long-haul routes (ranges of up to 1500 km and more) using satellite communications technology and a combination of accurate take-off and automatic landing capability.
Bleser said that the landing and takeoff was approved by all the Israeli civil aviation regulatory bodies. “The Heron is equipped with safety systems like IFF and TCAS and it therefore can be integrated safely into any civil air space.”
He added that the landing in an international airport opens a new niche market for the UAV made by IAI. “This UAV has a carrying capability of 290 kg and that makes it ideal aerial platforms for transporting medical supplies and emergency hardware to remote places and other sites which need these supplies,” Bleser said.
The Heron has an extensive operational record during the many years it’s been in use by the Israeli, German, and other nations’ air forces, and is designed to carry out longer strategic and tactical missions.
It can withstand severe weather conditions, carry multiple payloads (sensors), and transmit information to the forces and decision-makers in the field. The Heron UAV can carry cargo up to 290 kg and can be used for a range of civilian purposes as well.
IAI EVP and General Manager of the Military Aircraft Division Moshe Levy, speaking on the development, said that the future of the world of aviation will need to allow unmanned aerial vehicles to land at civilian airports,” and today this happened for the first time thanks to the hard and joint work of the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel and the Israel Airports Authority.”
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
