Israeli Eitan UAVs for French Air Force

photo by Georges Seguin (Okki)

25/07/2011 by Armed Forces International's Aviation Expert

The French Air Force is set to have a new Unmanned Aerial Vehicle design in service by 2014, according to an announcement made by the French Defence Ministry in late July 2011.

The UAV will have medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) qualities, allowing it to carry out lengthy missions and it'll be supplied via a collaboration between Dassault of France and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). It'll use an existing UAV design, the IAI Heron TP, as its basis, giving it additional features in line with France's requirements.

The original IAI Heron can carry out extended, 52-hour missions at heights of over 30,000 feet. Powered by a single 115 horsepower engine and capable of carrying a 550 pound payload, the Heron's in widespread military service, equipping Turkey, Singapore, India, Germany, Australia, Canada and many other nations.

The Heron TP is a significantly-upgraded Heron and, in Israeli service, has a new name - the Eitan.

Eitan Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

With an 86 foot wingspan, the Eitan Unmanned Aerial Vehicle is the world's largest and it has a 1,200 horsepower engine, the ability to carry 4,400 pounds of equipment and a range of over 4,600 miles.

The Israeli Air Force has been equipped with Eitans since the start of 2010 and, now, France is set to become the type's first overseas operator. France is already committed to a future UAV which will be developed through a partnership established with BAE Systems. However, the joint British/French UAV design isn't expected to arrive on the scene for about another decade, meaning the Heron TP/Eitan will be the French Air Force's next major UAV acquisition in the short-tem.

French Air Force Eitan UAV

The first French Air Force Eitan UAV is expected in 2014 and the last in 2016 and the deal has an estimated value of some 350 million Euros.

According to industry sources, the French Air Force will ultimately get an estimated 30+ Heron TPs and, while the components will be manufactured in Israel, they'll be pieced together in France.

UAVs like the Heron and the Eitan have become an integral part of modern warfare. Able to carry out high-level, detailed reconnaissance missions, they can acquire and stream data without causing immediate risk to human life.