Israel Aerospace to Provide Heron MK II UAVs to Central Asian Country

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) signed two deals, one to sell and one to lease two Heron MKII UAV systems to a central Asian country.

The deal is valued at tens of millions of dollars. The systems include reconnaissance payloads, Heron MK II drones and land arrays.

Azerbaijan in Central Asia has been a buyer of Israeli weapons. During its recent conflict with Armenia, it used Israeli and Turkish drones to achieve victory over  the latter's forces in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

It is not  known if the customer for the current sale of Heron drones is Azerbaijain.

The Heron MK II reaches an altitude of 35,000 feet, maximum speed of 140 knots, and can stay in the air for up to 45 hours. The UAV has a wide and strong chassis enabling quick and easy maintenance without affecting its net weight. It enables the use of new configurations and has a long-range reconnaissance sensor and radar. It can carry a range of additional payloads like COMINT and ELINT equipment.

The UAV is capable of gathering intelligence on targets from a long distance (dozens of miles) with no need to cross borders, thanks to its ability to carry larger, improved sensors. In addition, the Heron MK II boasts improved avionics and an improved and reinforced engine.