The Israeli Air Force’s largest unmanned aircraft is scheduled to begin operations within several months after eight years in development.Several Eitan UAS are scheduled to begin operations in the various combat sectors including Gaza and Lebanon.
The Eitan is 14 meters long and has 26 meter-long wings. It is able to fly for 20 hours straight at a maximum speed of 143 Knots and reach a maximum altitude of 41,000 feet. It weighs five tons and can carry up to one ton.
Eitan is meant to be utilized in complex intelligence gathering missions. It has already been dubbed “the most advanced UAS in the world.” The “heavy UAS,” as it has also been called, will also attempt to distinguish between terrorists and civilians in sensitive combat regions. “For the first time in military history we have a combatant who takes part in intercepting military targets with no direct threat to his life,” Lieutenant-Colonel Ido Frumer said.
Source: YT Net News