TSAMTO, October 1. According to Israeli and Indian media, amid growing tensions between India and China due to the aggravation of the situation in Ladakh, the Indian Defense Ministry decided to purchase four Heron Mk.2 UAVs from IAI and place them in the area for reconnaissance.
As reported by the resource Jpost.com The agreement between India and IAI was signed in mid-January, but the delivery of UAVs was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to The Times of India, the first two UAVs will arrive in India within two months, and the other two at the end of the year.
The deal, worth about $200 million, initially assumed a 3-year lease, but then New Delhi decided to buy these platforms as part of a plan to modernize the armed forces in the context of the ongoing border conflict with China.
Indian media reported that according to the plan of the Indian Air Force, dubbed Project Cheetah, 90 Heron-1 UAVs, which are in service with the Indian Air Force, CB and Navy, will be upgraded with equipping them with weapons, including laser-guided bombs and anti-tank guided missiles.
The Indian Air Force operates more than 180 Israeli-made UAVs, including 108 IAI-made sErcher and 68 unarmed Heron-1, as well as Harpy barrage ammunition.
UAV "Heron" Mk.2, which is an upgraded version of the Heron-1, has retained the same dimensions and general technical characteristics. The difference is the enlarged fuselage to accommodate more sensors. The upgraded unit also received a new power plant - a certified four-stroke Rotax 915 iS engine with a capacity of 135 hp and a three-bladed pusher propeller.
Thanks to the equipment with larger sensors with improved characteristics, the Heron Mk UAV.2 can collect information at a distance of tens of kilometers without crossing the border. Among the potentially possible payloads are synthetic aperture radars, electron-optical sensors, radio and electronic reconnaissance equipment, as well as sonars and a magnetometer for detecting submarines. Heron Mk.2 UAVs can take off/land on any runway in the absence of ground control stations and maneuver in extreme weather conditions.
The maximum take-off weight of the Heron Mk UAV.2 is 1,350 kg, the payload weight is 470 kg, the maximum speed is 140 knots (120 knots for Heron-1), the practical ceiling is 35,000 feet, the flight duration is 45 hours.
The UAV is equipped with advanced automation systems that allow the operator to turn off the engine and restart it at a command transmitted via satellite communication.
