Intelligence

Israel Aircraft Industries' HUNTER Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) receives Praise From the United States Department Of Defense for its role In the Kosovo- Macedonia Arena

Nov 20, 2001

Israel Aircraft Industries' (IAI) HUNTER Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) received praise from the United States Department Of Defense's (DOD) senior defense officials.

Israel Aircraft Industries' (IAI) HUNTER Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) received praise from the United States Department Of Defense's (DOD) senior defense officials. The HUNTER UAV was mentioned during a DOD's background briefing on UAVs, which took place on 31 Oct., 2001.

An ARMY official (who remained unnamed) said that the HUNTER UAV is "certainly the ARMY workhorse for the last several years". He added that it "has certainly been the centerpiece of our demonstrations for payloads, and for tactics, techniques and procedures development". The official had also mentioned that the ARMY is planning a test to be carried out later this fiscal year of putting the Brilliant Anti-Tank Munition on the HUNTER airframe.

The official had also said that HUNTER UAV systems were "deployed to Kosovo over the last three years, very successfully" and that they "came through helping out approximately 80 soldiers on getting back to their home base" (as mentioned in the following Jane's Defence Weekly article compilation).

The official concluded his briefing by saying the ARMY is actively using the HUNTER and it expects to use it for several more years to come.

"The US ARMY's Surveillance Capability will be boosted with the Installation of New Sensor Payloads on its Israel Aircraft Industries' HUNTER UAV Deployed in Macedonia and the border of Kosovo"(Jane's Defence Weekly)

- "It will come next month to be proved on the battlefield. It will give us the same class payload as 'Predator' UAV", says Steve Malace, TRW's site lead in Macedonia.

- "...Task Force HUNTER has been flying nightly surveillance missions along the mountainous and heavily-wooded Kosovo-Macedonia border looking for activity by rebel fighters...the information gleaned from its sensors is used to alert US and NATO ground troops to conduct intercept operations".

- "In June 2001 the taskforce provided continuous surveillance of a US ARMY convoy as it moved through rebel and government positions. HUNTERs were in the air throughout the operation and were instrumental in finding the convoy a safe route back to the US base. This was real time to CAS Tactical Operations Centre, where Brig. Gen. William David, Commander of US forces in Kosovo and Macedonia, was watching video. According to Capt. Dan Dittenber, company commander, the General was very enthusiastic about the support provided by the UAV: 'The General said the HUNTER was 'priceless -worth its weight in gold'".

- "In some 31 missions flown since 19 May, the taskforce logged 367 flight hours for the loss of only one air vehicle".

(Source: "JDW" - 15 August, 2001, p.p 27)

The HUNTER Joint Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is designed to meet specific operation goals of the US short-range requirements. The HUNTER system, manufactured and marketed jointly by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI)' MALAT Division and TRW, was selected as the short-range system for the US Army. HUNTER UAV System was sold to France and Belgium.

The HUNTER System features the following missions: real time imagery intelligence, artillery adjustment, battle damage assessment, reconnaissance & surveillance, target acquisition and battlefield observation.

IAI's MALAT Division designs, manufactures and integrates UAVs, which carry a variety of stabilized intelligence payloads for reconnaissance and surveillance purposes.

For more information, contact:
Doron Suslik
Deputy Corp VP for Communications
Tel: 972 (3) 93 5-8509
Fax: 972 (3) 935-8512
Email: hpaz@hdq.iai.co.il