Page 6 - SEOUL ADEX 2023 - DAY 1

HERON MK II: A Game-Changer

in Unmanned Aerial Systems

Reflecting the latest unmanned aerial sys- The Heron Mk II incorporates integral wide- 35,000 ft. The powerful motor also provides
tems (UAS) technology, the Heron MK II has band satellite communication and fully dig- sustained power for a maximum airspeed
recently joined IAI’s Heron family of UAS, ital line-of-sight datalinks, serving multiple of 145 knots and a faster ascent, improving
serving air forces, armies, and navies world- payloads simultaneously and allowing the the drone’s rate of climb by more than 50
wide for over two decades. With a new platform operational envelope over long percent over legacy systems. The maximum
airframe and wings tuned to maximize per- distances. Switching between the differ- takeoff weight (MTOW) has increased to
formance, advanced avionics, and a ground ent datalinks can optimize the mission to 1,430 kg, including a useful payload of 490
control system, the Heron MK II introduces become covert, secure, and resilient. In kg. Heron Mk II has a mission endurance
new mission capabilities, efficiencies, and addition to streaming live sensor data to of up to 45 hours.
autonomy standards. the ground, the Heron Mk II also has servers
onboard. Another forte is its ability to endure adverse
Equipped with a comprehensive payload weather, with deicing systems enabling the
suite, this Medium Altitude Long Endurance The HERON MKII conforms to open architec- aircraft to cross stormy weather it may
(MALE) UAS supports multiple payloads ture with separate flight control and mission encounter on its flight. Special attention is
operating over a broad spectrum enable management systems. This enables the given to protecting the communications,
real-time intelligence, surveillance, target manufacturer and users to maintain optimal navigation, and flight systems from jam-
acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR), upgrading cycles and avionics flexibility ming and spoofing, safeguarding the GPS
covering large areas of interest. Dedicated throughout the UAS life cycle. and datalinks against interference and
sensors allow the system to perform stand- cyber-attacks.
off reconnaissance over long distances or Mission Optimized Platform
persistent surveillance over a wide area. The The new powerplant uses an aviation-certi- Advanced Ground Segment
Heron Mk II provides a complete, multi-mod- fied engine that delivers 160 hp, specifically The crew uses the Unified Control System
al intelligence-gathering capability on a tuned to have a high climb rate and efficient (UCS) to control the mission, leveraging the
single platform. operation at low and high altitudes up to highly automated and intuitive user inter-
face to reduce crew workload and focus on
the task rather than fly the platform. This
modern mission control center comprises
multiple displays, ‘hands-on stick and throt-
tle’ (HOTAS) like controls, and a tablet with
a touch screen. Autonomous taxi, takeoff
and landing and multiple redundancies for
flight and missioncritical systems are fully
supported based on proven and robust
automation, multiple sensors, and systems.

Since its introduction in 1994, the Heron fam-
ily has been operational with over 22 cus-
tomers worldwide, accumulating well over
500,000 flight hours. HERON MKII takes the
system to new mission capabilities and per-
formance levels, setting a new benchmark
for advanced MALE UAS.

6 OCTOBER-17-2023 WWW.GBP.COM.SG/DAILY NEWS