IAI Searcher
| Searcher | |
|---|---|
 |
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| IAI Searcher in Tel Nof Airbase, Israel | |
| Role | Reconnaissance UAV |
| National origin | Israel |
| Manufacturer | IAI |
| Introduction | |
The IAI Searcher (also known by the Hebrew name מרומית Meyromit - "Marsh tern" [2], or officially in Israel as the חוגלה Hugla - "Alectoris") is a reconnaissance UAV developed in Israel in the 1980s. In the following decade, it replaced the IMI Mastiff and IAI Scout UAVs then in service with the Israeli Army.
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[edit] Design
The Searcher looks almost identical to the Scout and Pioneer, but is in fact scaled up and is well over twice the size of the Scout. The Searcher is powered by a 35 kW (47 hp) piston engine. The new design features updated avionics and sensor systems with greater flight endurance as well as increased redundancy for improved survivability. In addition to Israel, the system had been exported and is currently in use by India, South Korea, Singapore[3], Thailand and Turkey.[4]
[edit] Operational deployment
More than 100 Searcher IIs are being operated by the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy, one of these was shot down over Kasur, Pakistan (near the Indian border) by a Pakistan Air Force F-16 in 2003.[5]
[edit] Users
Azerbaijan[6]
Cyprus[citation needed]
India
Indonesia
Israel
Republic of Korea
Russia
Singapore
Timor-Leste[citation needed]
Thailand[citation needed]
Turkey[citation needed]
[edit] Specifications (Searcher II)
General characteristics
- Crew: None
- Capacity: 68 kg (150 lb) payload
- Length: 5.85 m (19 ft 2 in)
- Wingspan: 8.54 m (28 ft 0 in)
- Height: 1.25 m (4 ft 1 in)
- Gross weight: 500 kg (1,100 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Limbach L 550, 35 kW (47 hp) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 200 km/h (125 mph)
- Endurance: 18 hours
- Service ceiling: 6,100 m (20,000 ft)
[edit] See also
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
[edit] References
- ^ a b http://www.idf.il/1133-13389-HE/Dover.aspx
- ^ IAI Searcher (Israel) - Jane's Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Targets
- ^ http://www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/aircraft/uav/hermes_450/Hermes_450.html
- ^ Today's Zaman: Israel to deliver two UAVs to Turkey in late November
- ^ IAF's Searcher-II Loss on June 07, 2002
- ^ http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/04/18/355665/iai-offers-to-sell-heron-searcher-uavs-to-azerbaijan.html
This article contains material that originally came from the web article Unmanned Aerial Vehicles by Greg Goebel, which exists in the Public Domain.
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