• Thanks for stopping by. Logging in to a registered account will remove all generic ads. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

Project Noctua & the Heron UAV - Interim capability to support Afghanistan Ops

geo said:
From my perspective, it doesn't make too much sense for Israel to sell the technology to the Russians.....
Anything that was built into the drones will be taken apart & reverse engineered AND industrial / technical secrets would be shared by the Russians with Iran, Syria & any other country you might think of that is not too friendly with Israel.

Geo,

Israel sells export versions of their stuff just like the Russians do.
 
Yeah, yeah, I know.

Just doesn't make sense to me to sell to Russia - at a time where Russia is making friendly with the Syrians & Iranians.
 
CDN Aviator said:
Geo,
Israel sells export versions of their stuff just like the Russians do.

Even with export versions you can extrapolate a lot of the vehicles capabilities.
 
Retired AF Guy said:
Even with export versions you can extrapolate a lot of the vehicles capabilities.

Of course but thats only one part of the equasion. It is doubtful that any mission systems will be the same as what Israel uses and that is where the heart of any UAV lies.
 
CDN Aviator,
I hear ya and I know where you are coming from but,
A friend of a friend - can be a friend BUT
A friend of an ennemy is seldom a true friend.... and is most often, an ennemy.

IMHO
 
heron_shoval_4.jpg

From ctv article:

Canadian Forces have begun deploying unmanned aerial drones in Afghan skies, which officials say will help save the lives of Canadian soldiers by improving their intelligence capabilities.

The drones are called Herons and are equipped with cameras that allow the Canadian military to spy on Taliban activities from high up above the ground.

The unmanned aircraft, which took to the skies last month, are piloted from the ground by soldiers like Capt. Peter Shirley.
"This aircraft will fly for quite a long time," Shirley told CTV News recently. "Over 24 hours on a full tank of gas."

The Heron replaces the Sperwer -- a French-made aircraft, used since 2003, that cannot fly for as long and which the military believes is too loud to be an effective tool for spying. The outdated aircraft are also costly to maintain and have a shortage of available parts.

By contrast, the Israeli-made Heron can cruise as high as 10 kilometres above the Earth and is known for its silent stealth.
Col. Christopher Coates, the commander of Canada's air wing, said the two types of drones are miles apart when it comes to their aerial capabilities.
"The Sperwer might be like a 1950s vehicle, just able to do the job and perform, whereas the Heron is definitely a 2000 model," Coates told CTV News.
Military officials will not say exactly how sophisticated the Heron's camera systems are, but they claim the newly-introduced drone can zoom in on the smallest of targets from 100 kilometres away.

While Heron units can be used to track the movement of Canadian Forces troops on the ground, the Canadian military is more excited about their ability to watch what Taliban troops are doing on Afghan roads.

This capability, achieved partially through the use of infrared sensors, is of particular benefit when Canadian Forces are trying to keep track of the planting of dangerous IEDs that put Canadian lives at risk.

"We're not going to be able to spot every IED with a Heron, but we're quite certain we're going to be able to make a difference," Coates said.
For now, the Herons do not have the capability to take out targets from the air, like the U.S.-favoured Predator drone.
 
Ayup... watched the clip on CTV this morning.... Yeppers.... looking good.
No indication (or mention) that Israelis are used to fly or maintain the Herons....

Good addition to the range of tools now at out disposal.
 
When a new "spy drone" manages to provide us hardened Sperwer operators with amusement for so long...
 
Not sure why the CF didnt opt for the Heron 2 which can be armed.
 
Am certain that ISI would be more than happy to upgrade our lease package for the "2" at some time in the future....
 
tomahawk6 said:
The Heron replaces the Sperwer -- a French-made aircraft, used since 2003, that cannot fly for as long and which the military believes is too loud to be an effective tool for spying.


Well.. can't be that bad, as a Herc? Or is it?
 
It's not especially loud - it uses a snowmobile engine - but can still be heard at the relatively low altitudes at which we operate. And "can be heard" is not usually a good thing.
 
Loachman said:
It's not especially loud - it uses a snowmobile engine - but can still be heard at the relatively low altitudes at which we operate. And "can be heard" is not usually a good thing.


Ah Bombardier...Tabernac!!!
 
Loachman said:
When a new "spy drone" manages to provide us hardened Sperwer operators with amusement for so long...

When you get back drop in the the Hangar.  We can have our oun meet and greet and if you haven't had a close up, I'll give you a tour.
 
eurowing said:
When you get back drop in the the Hangar.  We can have our oun meet and greet and if you haven't had a close up, I'll give you a tour.

I need to deploy again! I've always wanted to see UAVs up close.
 
eurowing said:
When you get back drop in the the Hangar.  We can have our oun meet and greet and if you haven't had a close up, I'll give you a tour.

I'd love to. We'll see what happens, but it sounds like our pace is going to be an obstacle.

But then, our pace may make it possible as well.
 
Loachman said:
It's not especially loud - it uses a snowmobile engine - but can still be heard at the relatively low altitudes at which we operate. And "can be heard" is not usually a good thing.

Unless of course it's been tasked with a 'show of force' over enemy positions...something many of us were praying for, mostly due to the laughs we had as it sputtered over our heads! ;D

cheers, and have fun with the new kit!
 
Back
Top