|
|
Background
— Canadian Forces JUSTAS UAV — IAI Malat Heron |
|
Israeli UAV family trees are complex and this, along with overlapped DND UAV programs, causes some confusion. The
UAVs leased for CF use in Afghanistan through MacDonald Dettwiler are IAI Malat Heron 1s. The
'air vehicle' put forward for DND's JUSTAS program
by MacDonald Dettwiler and IAI is the larger Heron TP. To confuse matters further, a UAV
closely related to the Heron 1 was loaned to DND for the 2003 PLIX trials off Tofino. This UAV was designated CU-160 Eagle-1 by the CF.
|
|
|
The leased UAVs in Afghanistan [1] and CU-160 Eagle-1 are powered by piston engines – the same Rotax 914
that powered the earlier Predator A and rival Hermes 900. A small turbo- charged, 4-stroke engine,
the Rotax 914 is fuel efficient but somewhat lacking in power. That makes a Heron 1 ideal for long-range
missions with light payloads. However, JUSTAS was changed to include weapon carrying, requiring more
power.
|
|
|
Heron TP – also called Heron 2 [2] – is a substantially enlarged development of the
Heron 1 (about half-again larger) but a PT6 turboprop gives the Heron TP a greater all-around
performance including a longer endurance, more altitude, and a payload four times bigger.[3] But, this
performance comes at a cost compared with the Heron TP's thiftier predecessor. The take-off weight of a
turboprop Heron TP is four times that of the Heron 1. Still, all the extra power is needed to
meet the requirements of JUSTAS. Although whether IAI gains any points by using a Canadian [4] turboprop
remains to be seen.
|
|
|
The IAI Malat Heron family also has 2 export variants – the piston-engined Eagle-1 and the
turboprop-powered Eagle-2 (developed with EADS
). Eagle variants differ in detail from their Heron equivalents (in the wing span particularly).
While the UAV for Afghanistan provided through MacDonald Dettwiler will almost certainly be a standard Heron
1, it is possible that an IAI submission for JUSTAS might combine the features of a standard Heron
TP with the desirable elements from the Eagle series. [5]
|
|
| Specifications: |
IAI Malat Heron 1
(Mahatz / Shoval) UAV |
Performance: |
Maximum altitude: 30,000 feet (9,144 m)
[6] |
| Endurance: |
40 hours, range: BLOS (beyond-line-of-sight) |
Powerplant:
|
1 x 115 hp (86 kW) Rotax 914 turbo
4-stroke
4-cyl. driving a 2 m diameter, 2-blade propeller |
| Dimensions: |
Length overall: 8.50 m, wing span: 16.60 m [7] |
| Weights: |
MTOW: 1,150 kg, maximum payload: 250 kg |
|
|
| Specifications: |
IAI Malat Heron TP (Heron
2 / Eitan) UAV |
Performance: |
Maximum altitude: 45,000 feet (13,716 m)
[8] |
| Endurance: |
36 hours, range: BLOS (beyond-line-of-sight) |
Powerplant:
|
1,200 hp (895 kW) P&WC PT6A-67 turboprop
driving a 2.8 m diameter, 4-blade propeller |
| Dimensions: |
Length overall: 14.0 m, wing span: 26.0 m |
| Weights: |
MTOW: 4,650 kg, typical payload: 1,000 kg |
|
|
|
[1] DND established a precedent in designating leased UAVs (eg: CU-163 Altairs). It would be
logical that leased Herons are CU-160As.
[2] The naming gets even more confused. In Israeli service, a Heron TP is called Eitan or Mahatz 2.
Heron 1 is called Mahatz 1 or Shoval.
[3] It has been questioned whether Heron 2s can carry weapons. It seems exceedingly unlikely that
IAI would design a UAV which could not be armed. In any case, a stiffer twin-boomed layout would make mounting
weapons even simpler than for the competing Predator Bs.
[4] The PT6A-67 is made by Pratt & Whitney Canada of Longueuil, Quebec. The Predator B uses the
US-made Garrett TP 331 turboprop.
[5] It also remains to be seen whether MacDonald Dettwiler/IAI's willingness to participate in Project Noctua – the leased and contractor- maintained Heron 1s
supporting Canadian troops in Afghanistan – will have any influence over DND's decision over JUSTAS purchases.
[6] CU-160 Eagle-1 altitude is 25,000-to-32,000 feet. Endurance is 30 hours with loiter times
of 12 hours at 1,018 km and 7 hours at 1,481 km.
[7] Dimensions of the CU-160 Eagle-1 variant differ slightly, being shorter in span (16.30 m) but
greater in fuselage/boom length (8.94 m).
[8] This is the target altitude. On 10 Sept 2008, the Heron TP established a new record altitude by flying at
40000 ft for an extended period.
|
|