The Heron and Harop drones are unquestionably important assets for Israel’s defensive capabilities.
Israel’s homegrown defense systems have long been touted as cutting-edge and innovative. From munitions and air defense systems to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and main battle tanks (MBTs), Israel certainly retains an edge militarily over its adversarial neighbors. Since Hamas waged its October 2023 invasion, Israel has remained at war with the Gaza-based terror group in addition to Iran’s Lebanon and Yemen-based proxy groups. While Tehran’s regional affiliates are well equipped with a range of weaponry, their stockpiles of lethal drones arguably remain the most threatening to Israel. Israel also sports a robust UAV arsenal, which continues to play a critical role in the nation’s defensive and offensive operations. While Israel’s drone supply is versatile, its top two aerial weapons are arguably the IAI Super Heron and the IAI Harop UAVs.
Introducing the Heron
The IAI Eitan “Heron” UAV was designed by the Malat division of Israel’s Aerospace Industries in 2010, following its initial reveal a few years prior at Tel Nof Airbase. In terms of the drone’s layout, it features a twin-boom configuration and two tails connected by a singular tailplane. The Heron is quite large, lending to its ordnance-lugging capacity. In total, the lethal UAV can carry payloads weighing 1,000 kg. Since the Heron is designated as a long-endurance, medium-altitude UAV, the Israeli drone can operate at higher altitudes than its counterparts. Additionally, the cutting-edge drone features triple-redundant avionics, all-weather capabilities, and automatic take-off. According to Air Force Technology, the Israeli drone is powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67A turboprop engine, enabling it to fly at speeds in excess of 200kts. The Indian Air Force, the Turkish Air Force, and the Royal Australian Air Force all utilize the Heron drone for high-altitude land surveillance and maritime patrol missions, among other operations.
Introducing the Harop
The IAI Harop is derived from an earlier loitering munition designated as the “Harpy.” In the late 1990s, this UAV was conceptualized to be able to function as an intelligence seeker and a striker simultaneously. Largely based on its innovative predecessor, the Harop serves as an electro-optically guided attack weapon that can be reconfigured to perform multiple tasks, including attacking radars and gathering intelligence. Notably, the Harop can carry out different missions at the same time with this capability. The Israeli drone can fly for roughly six hours or about 600 miles after being launched, according to The War Zone. Manufacturer IAI has specified that the Harop is designed to be able to fly in “holding areas” prior to striking a target. Also known as a suicide drone, this ability to “loiter” gives the Harop a more lethal edge. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) primarily uses the Harop to destroy adversarial radio frequency-emitting sensor capabilities. The IAF’s interception of enemy defense networks continues to provide a huge advantage for Israel.
While the Heron and Harop are unquestionably important assets for Israel’s defensive capabilities, Israel’s versatile UAV arsenal is filled with heavy hitters.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
.jpg){kind=link}