Aviation / Aerospace

IAI Super Heron

Super-Tactical Unmanned Air System (UAS) [ 2014 ]

Unveiled at the 2014 Singapore Air Show was the new IAI Super Heron, a dramatically revised version of the original Heron UAV.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 06/22/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

Image from official IAI marketing material.

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]

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At Singapore Air Show 2014, Israel Aerospace Industries revealed an all-new Unmanned Air System (UAS) addition to their existing and globally popular "Heron" remote reconnaissance aircraft line as the "Super Heron". The original Heron first flew in 1994 and fell into the classification of Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance, was conventionally powered through a two-bladed pusher engine configuration and has seen acceptance into the services of Israel, India, Germany, Brazil and Turkey among others. The Super Heron is a dimensionally larger craft and has been dubbed a "Super Tactical" UAV system. Its primary mission is reconnaissance and data collection, relaying information to ground commanders.

With its larger size, the Super Heron can compete with equally large UAVs on the global market, capable of carrying bigger internal mission payloads. It is outfitted with the new M-19HD series electro-optical turret in a chin installation. The fuselage takes on a Global Hawk-esque appearance with its bulbous nose and rear-mounted engine. A Fiat-inspired "heavy fuel" engine of 200 horsepower by Italian concern Diesel Jet is offered as well as a "light fuel", lower-power alternative utilizing gasoline. The engine drives a propeller blade assembly at rear in the usual pusher configuration. Wings measure a span of 56 feet and the aircraft showcases a Maximum Take-Off weight (MTOW) of approximately 3,200lbs. Wings also feature efficiency-minded winglets, a growing trend in the aircraft business - both military and civilian in nature. The rear-mounted engine is straddled by the twin-boom tail configuration. The aircraft utilizes a wholly retractable wheeled undercarriage with two main legs and a nose leg.

All told, the Super Heron is capable of a maximum speed of 173 miles per hour at service ceilings reaching up to 30,000 feet and a mission endurance window of 45 hours. Its payload capabilities are modular by design, allowing different mission kits to be added as required by the operator. Standard offerings include high-resolution video, SIGnals INTelligence (SIGINT) over-land and over-water radar systems. The Super Heron is fielded with a Ground Control Station (GCS) operated by crew through more secure communications channels.©MilitaryFactory.com

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Specifications

Service Year

2014

Origin

Israel

Status

ACTIVE
In Limited Service.

Crew

1

Production

12
UNITS

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) - Israel

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

Israel (probable)

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), Scout
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.

✓ Unmanned Capability
Aircraft inherently designed (or later developed) with an unmanned capability to cover a variety of over-battlefield roles.

Length

29.5 ft
(9.00 m)

Width/Span

55.8 ft
(17.00 m)

MTOW

3,197 lb
(1,450 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the base IAI Super Heron production variant)

Installed: 1 x Diesel Jet diesel-fueled engine of 200 horsepower OR 1 x Gasoline-fueled engine driving two-bladed propeller in pusher configuration.

Max Speed

173 mph
(278 kph | 150 kts)

Ceiling

30,003 ft
(9,145 m | 6 mi)

Range

621 mi
(1,000 km | 1,852 nm)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base IAI Super Heron production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)

None. Mission payload to consist of equipment.

Supported Types

(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)

Super Heron - Base Series Designation

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Image from official IAI marketing material.