The Air Force of the Republic of Malta has floated an unmanned aerial vehicle for the first time in almost 50 years of history. This is an IAI Heron. This was used for the first time at the weekend.
The IAI Heron is a reconnaissance drone made in Israel. The payload is around 250 kilograms. The aircraft is powered by two petrol engines with 115 HP each. It is a four-cylinder Rotax 914 from BRP Powertrain. The Heron has a two-bladed pusher propeller and can fly about 9.150 meters high. The operating speed is between 111 and 213 kilometers per hour.
As a rule, this drone is not armed. The main area of operation is also reconnaissance in the German armed forces. For this purpose, the IAI Heron is equipped with special cameras that transmit photos and videos in real time. This pattern is not necessarily used for classic military purposes, but also to be able to get a better overview after a severe storm, for example.