AUVSI: IAI reveals Ghost UAV

IAI has revealed its ‘innovative’ Ghost automatic rotary VTOL UAV at the Unmanned Systems North America conference.

Presented at the AUVSI show in Washington, DC on 16 August, the 4kg system is designed for use by ground forces in built-up areas.

It has twin rotary electrical engines, and can silently loiter for some 30 minutes, making it ideal for urban paramilitary and homeland security reconnaissance missions.

‘The unique man-machine interface and operational concept is based on the principle of computer games and makes the system extremely intuitive to operate and requires little training,’ a statement from the company said.

The system requires a two-man team, and can be carried in backpacks. It consists of: two platforms, batteries, and a C3 unit.

The concept for the Ghost was first revealed on 22 February to Israel’s defence minister, Ehud Barak, during a technology demonstration.

Itzhak Nissan, IAI’s CEO and President, said ‘innovative concepts [were] used to develop Ghost’, and these derive from the company’s previous experience in developing UAS.

The revealing of the Ghost follows that of IAI’s first tiltrotor UAV, the Panther, in October last year. The VTOL system and the smaller mini-Panther system were both deemed by the company to be based on a ‘unique concept [that] has been patented by IAI’, which is now also present in the Ghost.

The company also displayed its ETOP (electric tethered observation platform) and Heron UAS at the show, the latter of which having recently reached full operational capability with the German Air Force in Afghanistan.