IAI's extensive portfolio is based on proven operational concepts (sponsored)

This article is brought to you by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)

IAI's extensive portfolio of defense solutions features advanced systems in the air, sea, land, cyber and space. The portfolio is based on many years of amassed knowledge and experience.  Some of the solutions will be displayed by IAI at the DSEI defense and security event in London in September.

IAI is at the forefront of technology and solutions around the world. It offers not only products, but rather, end-to-end solutions that rely on an advanced operational concept.

When it comes to international cooperation, IAI has built up cooperation with a range of local companies around the world. This gives clients the ability to acquire working techniques and knowledge, and to manufacture and integrate their own systems in country, in conjunction with IAI.

That type of cooperation is highly unique to IAI, and it extends to both technological and commercial agreements. As an example,  IAI has an agreement in place with Airbus regarding its HERON TP UAV, a cooperation relationship that is a win-win situation for two strong companies.

The fact that the United States is also pressuring European countries to raise their defense budgets to 2% of their GDP is an additional factor.

— IAI

In regard to the European and British defense markets, IAI has witnessed a rise in recent years in European defense budgets. There are several factors behind this trend, including the rise of tensions with Russia, a development that has led European states to look at rebuilding traditional capabilities that were neglected over the past two decades. The fact that the United States is also pressuring European countries to raise their defense budgets to 2% of their GDP is an additional factor.

Furthermore, the rise of domestic terrorist threats means that new homeland security capabilities are required, which cannot be provided by regular military forces. The ability to protect strategic facilities and sites, as the January 2019 Heathrow Airport drone incident illustrates, will prove crucial in the coming years. In addition to these factors, illegal migration via land and sea routes has created a new need for border management solutions.

In this context, IAI recently demonstrated 600 flight hours of its Maritime Heron unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) under contract from FRONTEX together with Airbus, which carries advanced radars and electro-optic sensors, and received highly positive feedback. Such platforms can detect the activity of migrants and smugglers and send the data in real-time to border protection agencies and any other users per customers' requirements.

Last year, Germany signed a leasing agreement for the  Heron TP UAVs. In June 2019, at the Paris Air Salon, IAU unveiled its new Tactical Heron UAV, a product  that is very relevant for tactical and maneuvering  forces.

Other tactical UAVs, such as the BirdEye 650D, are suitable for small mobile forces in the field. 

European militaries will need to be prepared for overseas military expeditions. Here too, IAI products are highly relevant. Some are taking part in existing expeditions. There are several countries in the world with IAI UAVs, meaning that the systems are active all of the world. Some are leased.

IAI sold close to a billion dollars' worth of defense solutions in the European market in 2018, including multiple major weapons systems.  As a result, the company's products have proven to be a very good fit for the European market.

In 2012, Italy purchased an observation satellite from IAI, and in January 2019, the Israeli defense company signed a cooperation agreement with Germany's OHB Systems, a leading German satellite manufacturer.

In the field of mission aircraft, IAI possesses an extensive portfolio. Italy has purchased two IAI-made mission aircraft, which feature full NATO interoperability capabilities.

Other countries in Europe are in contact with IAI about the possibility of acquiring special mission aircraft. In the area of ground forces, IAI also offers a range of air defense solutions. The recent success of the Barak MX solution, which IAI has sold to clients around the world in contracts worth billions of dollars, is a trend setting development in this sector. Barak MX's various versions are highly relevant to European needs.

IAI completed one contract for the sale of ground radar systems to Finland earlier this year, and hopes to complete additional contracts in the sector of artillery and air defense Radars for ground forces.

Land warfare is a central growth area. IAI this year has established a land division , which centralizes all company activities in this area. These includes sensors, radars, electronic intelligence, communications intelligence, Ground robotics and 360 situational awareness.

Robotic systems for ground forces are also part of this division. Such systems were sold to the Israel Defense Forces in recently and IAI advanced land capabilities were demonstrated to the Israeli Defense Forces and other potential customers under the IDF Carmel Program.

IAI's Drone Guard counter-drone system has proven to be a very successful product, which will go in display at DSEI. Drone Guard can provide both stationary protection, and mobile defense for a convoy, enabling security forces to bring it with them on a convoy to and where any location. In the field of precision strike, IAI offers a range of ammunition that can be lunched or fired from the ground, sea, and air. IAI's uniqueness comes from its systems high accuracy in striking the target with minimal collateral damage

This includes IAI's LORA (long-range artillery) missile system, laser guided missiles such as the Lahat and laser guidance kits that are installed on air-to-ground bombs, making them highly accurate.

IAI's TopGun product takes standard 155mm artillery shells and turns them into guided, accurate ammunition. The IDF has acquired the TopGun system. This allows the military to use less shells, reduce collateral damage, and purchase less artillery guns.  

Operators are kept in the loop to ensure that only the right target is hit, meaning that they can cancel the strike, and return to the target or to another target

— IAI

In the area of loitering munitions, IAI offers a range of products that launch like missiles, fly like a UAV, and strike like a missile, but which can remain in the air for a lengthy period. Operators are kept in the loop to ensure that only the right target is hit, meaning that they can cancel the strike, and return to the target or to another target.

IAI's Mini Harpy loitering munition contains both electro-optic and anti-radiation sensors, giving it the ability to lock on to targets either through cameras or by detecting the radiation from enemy radar systems.

All of these ammunitions are based on an operational concept, which is guided by the principles of high accuracy, long durations and preventing collateral damage. Such capabilities are suitable for asymmetric warfare conditions, or local anti-urban terror attacks where security forces need to reach pinpoint accuracies.

For naval platforms, IAI offer a full combat suite for ships including Command and Control (CMS), multi-frequency radar systems, signals intelligence, electronic intelligence, and day and night electro-optical sensors. In addition, attack systems, missiles, and air defense systems like Barak MX naval version are also in IAI's portfolio.

IAI is able to provide a full suite or integrate with the client's legacy system. . IAI's Multi-Sensor Multi-Mission Radar (MS-MMR) is a new intelligence-gathering system that features all sensors, fusing the data, and providing a unified picture to operators in a way that is actionable.

In addition, IAI's supersonic long-range Rampage air-to-ground rocket enables air platforms to quickly strike targets after they are detected, in a very precise manner.