Tel Aviv: Will Israel have a UAV carrier? According to Israeli experts, the dramatic increase in the use of armed UAVs in military conflicts will expedite the evaluation of the idea to develop a UAV carrier.
Aircraft and helicopter carriers are serving big navies in the world. UAVs are currently operated from navy ships per mission. But the dramatic change in the mode UAVs are being operated has again put the idea of a dedicated UAV maritime carrier on the table in Israel. This mainly because of first lessons from the Ukraine war and the war in Gaza.
The aircraft and helicopter carriers have proved their affectivity in many navies. These floating air bases have a task in every major military conflict that erupts where nature put seas and oceans. In recent years, navies have come up with an increasing number of operational demands to have UAV on their ships.
This is happening, and in recent years some Israeli manufacturers of UAV have begun to think of the idea.
Aeronautics, the Israeli unmanned air system (UAS) manufacturer, is offering the option to operate its Orbiter-3 UAS from navy ships. The Orbiter-3 has a wingspan 0f 4.2 meters a max take-off weight of 28kgs and an endurance of 7 hours. It carries a 5.5 kg payload.
In ground operations, it is launched with a catapult and recovered by a combination of parachute and airbag. On ships a special net is used to catch it at the end of the mission.
The adaptation of the Orbiter-3 for sea operations comes some years after its smaller version the Orbiter- 2 was adapted for that mission and is already in operation on Israeli navy’s vessels.
According to Aeronautics, there is a growing demand for the operation of UAV from combat ships. In some navies, this is the direct replacement of a deck operated helicopter. The aerial platform are needed mainly for early detection of threats. But as proven in current major conflicts, the armed UAVs have become an essential asset.
So far, the UAV that can operate from ships are relatively smaller. They usually are launched with some type of catapult and land into a net. With the new capabilities of different types of UAVs developed by Israeli companies, the idea is again being evaluated as an important capability for the future.
Sources in the Israeli defence industry envision a dedicated carrier with a deck that will enable “different types ” of UAVs to take off. The idea gains momentum when 80 % of the total flight hours of the Israeli Air Force are performed by different types of UAVs.
-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
