Germany will lease Heron TP unmanned surveillance drones to boost its intelligence gathering capability to support ground troop deployments...
Germany will lease Heron TP unmanned surveillance drones to boost its intelligence gathering capability to support ground troop deployments.
German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen announced the selection, saying contract negotiations are ongoing.
The Heron TP with its larger payload and endurance will complement the existing fleet of Heron 1 UAVs operated by German armed forces in Afghanistan.
A fleet of 3-5 of these UAVs will be leased and is expected to be operational by 2018.
The temporary fix will help German forces to improve surveillance and strike capabilities until 2025, when a armed European unmanned drone with improved capabilities will be developed.
Capable of being armed with ground attack missiles, the Heron TP has a maximum endurance of upto 52 hours depending upon the payload.
With automatic landing and take off capability and triple redundant avionics, the all weather Heron TP flies above commercial air traffic (45000 ft).
It has a maximum take off weight of 5200 kg and is powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6 turboprop engine rated at 1200 hp engine enabling to carry a payload of 1000 kg.
German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen announced the selection, saying contract negotiations are ongoing.
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| Photo: IAI |
The Heron TP with its larger payload and endurance will complement the existing fleet of Heron 1 UAVs operated by German armed forces in Afghanistan.
A fleet of 3-5 of these UAVs will be leased and is expected to be operational by 2018.
The temporary fix will help German forces to improve surveillance and strike capabilities until 2025, when a armed European unmanned drone with improved capabilities will be developed.
Capable of being armed with ground attack missiles, the Heron TP has a maximum endurance of upto 52 hours depending upon the payload.
With automatic landing and take off capability and triple redundant avionics, the all weather Heron TP flies above commercial air traffic (45000 ft).
It has a maximum take off weight of 5200 kg and is powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6 turboprop engine rated at 1200 hp engine enabling to carry a payload of 1000 kg.
