Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd. (IAI), European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company NV (EADS), and the French Ministry of Defense Arms Procurement Agency (DGA) successfully conducted the maiden flight of a new long-range mid-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), called the Eagle. The Eagle is derived from IAI’s Heron UAV, which is in operational use with the Israel Air Force.
The Eagle was built under a $35-40 million development program begun three years ago. The Eagle’s most important feature is an automated take-off and landing system. When development is completed, France’s Ministry of Defense will decide whether to procure the Eagle for the French Air Force. IAI hopes that EADS will lead the marketing of the Eagle in other European countries.
In the test flight, the Eagle took off from a testing ground in southern France, carrying a complete satellite and line-of-sight communications system. The flight, controlled from a ground station, demonstrated the effectiveness of the UAV, especially its automated take-off and landing system, satellite communications and combined command and control capabilities.
The Eagle has a take-off weight of 1,250 kg. and can carry a payload of 250 kg. It has a 16.6-meter wingspan, a maximum altitude of 30,000 feet, a flight endurance of over 24 hours, and mission range of over 1,000 kilometers.
IAI’s partner in the Eagle program, EADS, is a global aerospace and defense leader It had €34.2 billion ($43 billion) in turnover in 2005 and has 113,000 employees in various European countries.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on September 12, 2006
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2006