IAI and 2Excel put Maritime Heron to the test in UK
Maritime Heron in flight near West Wales Airport. (Photo: IAI)
The Maritime Heron MALE UAS has proved itself capable of operating under UK regulations.
The Maritime Heron UAS from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has completed a series of tests in the UK to show its BVLoS ISR capabilities for potential coast guard and naval missions.
IAI was partnered by 2Excel Aviation in a multi-scenario demonstration flight from West Wales Airport in Aberporth. All the planned the scenarios were conducted successfully despite what IAI described on 10 May as ‘challenging seasonal weather’.
IAI added: ‘The system demonstrated that it is highly capable in missions including search and rescue, border protection, fisheries patrol, safety at sea, small boat detection and surveillance and other activities.’
Data from the multimission ELM-2022H radar, M-19 HD stabilised EO/IR sensor and AIS vessel identification system aboard Maritime Heron was processed by IAI’s Starlight AI-based data exploitation engine, which then generated points of interest for ‘actionable intelligence’, the Israeli company stated.
The flight was witnessed by officials from the MoD and other UK government agencies. Andy Offer, co-founder and director of 2Excel Aviation, reported ‘very positive’ feedback from UK aviation regulators.
He added: ‘2Excel and IAI together demonstrated they can operate a very capable Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) platform in the UK within the constraints of the current regulatory environment.’
More from Uncrewed Vehicles
-
![US Navy foresees an uncrewed future for its surface and underwater fleet]()
US Navy foresees an uncrewed future for its surface and underwater fleet
The service has been conducting various procurement and development efforts to integrate unmanned surface and underwater vehicles into its inventory.
-
![Tekever unveils new swarm-controlling UAS]()
Tekever unveils new swarm-controlling UAS
Tekever has manufactured the AR3, AR4 and AR5 UAS with all systems sharing common electronics and software architecture, which has enabled the reuse of ground segment elements within the new ARX UAS.
-
![Ready for the race: Air separation drone swarms vs. air defence systems]()
Ready for the race: Air separation drone swarms vs. air defence systems
As the dynamics of aerial combat rapidly evolve, Chinese scientists have engineered a sophisticated air separation drone model that can fragment into up to six drones, each capable of executing distinct battlefield roles and challenging the efficacy of current anti-drone defences such as the UK’s Dragonfire laser system.
-
![Israel’s MALE UAVs ‘must adapt’ to Iranian-made air defences]()
Israel’s MALE UAVs ‘must adapt’ to Iranian-made air defences
Advancements in air defence technologies have begun to reshape aerial combat dynamics in the Middle East, as illustrated by recent events involving the Israeli Air Force and Hezbollah.
-
![Hundreds more UAS sent to Ukraine forces with thousands more on the way]()
Hundreds more UAS sent to Ukraine forces with thousands more on the way
Both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war have been using UAS for effective low-cost attacks, as well as impactful web and social media footage. Thousands more have now been committed to Ukrainian forces.
-
![AI and software companies selected for US Army Robotic Combat Vehicle subsystems]()
AI and software companies selected for US Army Robotic Combat Vehicle subsystems
The US Army has intentions to develop light, medium and heavy variants of the Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) as part of the branche’s Next Generation Combat Vehicle family.
