Tel Aviv. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), a world-class aerospace and defence leader, announced September 2 that it was awarded the Israel Defence Prize in recognition of the significant contribution to the security of the State of Israel by the Shavit, Eitam and Oron Special Mission Aircraft, developed and produced by the company. These important aircraft implement advanced Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) technologies across all operational domains. Their powerful capabilities were highlighted during the ‘Iron Swords’ war, where they maintained exceptionally high availability, accumulating vast operational hours over a twenty-two-month period to carry out a wide range of missions to protect Israel’s skies and maintain ISR superiority.
While legacy special mission aircraft with similar capabilities are based on large passenger or transport aircraft platforms, IAI-, has pioneered the use of high-performance business jets with their advantages in speed, altitude, range and availability. The company’s breakthroughs in this area have been made possible by the miniaturisation of sensor systems, the implementation of unique algorithms and the implementation of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI & ML) applications, which enable the integration of a full suite of advanced intelligence systems and the provion of efficient, comfortable workstations for their operators.
During the ‘Iron Swords’ war, IAI supported the Israel Defence Force (IDF) in the rapid deployment of the Oron aircraft, completing its integration into operational service with the Israel Air Force’s (IAF) Nachshon Squadron. The highly advanced Oron aircraft serves the Israel’s Air Force and Navy, as well as the IDF’s Intelligence Directorate as the world’s first Wide-Area Persistent Surveillance (WAPS) aircraft in its category. Based on the Gulfstream G550 business-jet platform, Oron offers outstanding flight performance and low maintenance costs. It is equipped with groundbreaking sensing and communication systems that provide the IDF with unprecedented intelligence capabilities, covering large areas and performing real-time tracking of both ground and maritime targets under all weather and visibility conditions.
Boaz Levy, IAI’s President and CEO, stated, “We are honoured to receive the Israel Defence Prize, this time for IAI’s groundbreaking special mission aircraft. At the onset of the ‘Iron Swords’ war, our employees worked tirelessly to deploy the Oron, an aircraft that represents a significant addition to the Nachshon Squadron. These advanced aircraft are the result of decades of innovation in IAI and serve as another testament to the power-multiplier that our technologies enable as a strategic asset for defence forces. IAI invests heavily in the research and development of advanced technologies for Israel’s defence establishment, ensuring superiority against current and future threats.”
IAI offers four main product lines in the field of Special Mission Aircraft, three of which have been awarded the Israel Defence Prize:
Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C): This is an advanced airborne early warning and control aircraft, based on radar and IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) with Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) electronic scanning capability, signal intelligence systems, communications, and self-protection systems. These are fully integrated into a comprehensive system that generates and disseminates an aerial and maritime picture, as well as providing command and control for air battles and strike missions by directing fighter aircraft. A flagship product in this category is the Eitam (CAEW), based on the G550 business jet platform and equipped with an AESA radar and IFF systems, offering full 360-degree coverage.
Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR): This is an airborne intelligence and ground-control aircraft for wide-area surveillance, based on AESA Synthetic Aperture Radar and Ground Moving Target Indication (SAR/GMTI) radar technology, SIGINT systems (ELINT & COMINT), communications, and self-protection systems, all integrated into a unified system. Its mission management system, powered by AI & ML, builds a comprehensive battlespace picture from long ranges under all weather and visibility conditions, generating and distributing real-time target data to operational users. A leading product in this category is the Oron, based on the G550 business-jet platform, integrating a state-of-the-art digital AESA radar, cutting-edge SIGINT, and an advanced multi-intelligence (Multi-INT) data-fusion system.
Signals Intelligence (SIGINT): This is an intelligence aircraft designed to monitor the electromagnetic spectrum, enabling the precise detection and geolocation of emitters and communication networks, while generating a multi-domain electromagnetic map of battlespace. ELTA has developed and delivered Shavit aircraft – based on a business-jet platform – which are considered among the most advanced SIGINT aircraft of their kind.
Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA): This is a maritime patrol, and which integrates advanced AESA Multi Mode radar, SIGINT, and EO/IR (Electro-Optical/Infra-Red) systems. These aircraft constitute a central operational asset for coastguards and naval forces worldwide and its mission is to create a comprehensive maritime situational picture for Search & Rescue, maritime policing, environmental monitoring, Anti Surface Warfare (ASuW), and Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW). ELTA’s MPA are based on medium or large business jets.
