Heron TP UAV goes public for the first time
Dominating IAI’s exhibit area here at Le Bourget is the Heron TP, a turboprop-powered medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAV.

Dominating IAI’s exhibit area here at Le Bourget is the Heron TP, a turboprop-powered medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAV. It is the first public showing of this craft, whose 85-foot wingspan nearly rivals that of an ATR 72 airliner, which is five times heavier. Heron TP is the latest and largest of a long line of UAVs developed by IAI’s Malat Division.

It is displayed next to the smaller, piston-powered Heron 1 with which it shares a twin-boom layout, and other smaller stablemates. The Heron 1 is in service with the Israel defense force and forms the basis of the EADS Eagle 1 flying as France’s interim MALE.

Loading…